The sets of Luca Guadagnino films like Call Me by Your Name or I Am Love, set in the exquisite Necchi Campiglio Villa in Milan, play an exceptional role in the storytelling. Every object in the homes of his characters add to the story in ways that widen the cinematic scope of the film. So it’s no surprise that Guadagnino’s interior collections too have a narrative of their own. Along with his co-conspirator, architect Stefano Baisi, he gives AD the low-down on Studio Luca Guadagnino’s latest outing at Salone del Mobile in June this year, that showcased their installation “Accanto al Fuoco/By the Fire”.
The centrepiece is a furrowed fireplace crafted from a grey-blue ornamental stone called “ceppo di gre”, which is said to be found in only one cave in Italy. Around it are puzzle-piece coffee tables designed in-house; carpets from La Manufacture Cogolin; a 1957 Digamma reclining armchair by Gavina, paired with an ottoman from Guadagnino’s personal collection; and glass sconces by the film- maker for FontanaArte, among other intriguing elements, arranged into a pair of mirrored living rooms. The idea, Guadagnino says, was to evoke memories of a “lost bourgeoisie, the Milan left behind, and bridging that with our present times” through the physical space of the living rooms, one of which has a fireplace built in ceramic.
For Guadagnino, it was also an opportunity to reflect on his practice, where some of the pieces on display had already been created, but in different materials. “We realized that all these elements were coming together to form the living room,” he says, adding that “boxing them together into the shape of the living rooms—as Stefano pointed out—was a great way to pay homage to Carlo Scarpa”, the Italian architect who is a chief source of inspiration for the design studio.
The three-dimensionality of interiors and architecture excite Guadagnino, allowing him to play with materiality and the senses. “It was an intuitive process, and next year [for Salone del Mobile], our approach will be different; it’ll be forward-looking,” Guadagnino says—a reminder of how he seems to time-travel with ease through the spaces he creates, whether on screen or off.
The post Studio Luca Guadagnino makes its debut at Salone del Mobile showcasing the warmth of living rooms appeared first on Architectural Digest India.