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Molto Bello

Rebecca Stormont, our Modern Design specialist, chats with Heide Gallery curators, Kendrah Morgan and Laura Lantieri about their current exhibit Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design.

We spoke with Heide Gallery’s Molto Bello curators, Kendrah Morgan and Laura Lantieri about the upcoming exhibit.

Tell us about your current exhibition Molto Bello.

Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design, tells the remarkable story of how Italian design became admired throughout the world, combining Italy’s rich craft tradition, with technological advances, creativity, wild experimentation and new inventions. The exhibition brings together more than 180 objects, spanning a sixty-year period, from the first Milan Triennale in the 1930s to the Memphis Group of the 1980s. Held across Heide’s Main Galleries and Heide Modern, it celebrates key figures in the industry and their enduring contributions to global culture. Visitors can see, for example, the dynamic work of early architect–designers such as Gio Ponti and Carlo Mollino. Ingenious and stylish creations by Gae Aulenti, Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Joe Colombo, and the Castiglioni brothers. Quirky and provocative Radical Design pieces from the 1970s, and iconic objects by Ettore Sottsass, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Gaetano Pesce, and many others. 

Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta, Mezzadro Stool 1957, lacquered sheet steel, chrome-plated flat steel, steam-treated beech, 51 x 49 x 51cm. Courtesy CULT, Melbourne

What sparked the initial concept?

There’s been a resurgence of interest in Italian design recently and Heide is located in an area with a rich Italian heritage. This exhibition presented an opportunity to engage with our local community on a subject that speaks to the moment.  Developing Molto Bello has been challenging as it is one of the most ambitious projects that Heide has undertaken, and we are small team with modest resources. We are very grateful to have an Italian company, Webuild, as our Presenting Partner, as well as support from the Italian Australian Foundation, the John and Rose Downer Foundation, and Bed Bath N’ Table. It’s also been wonderful to have a talented exhibition designer working with us on the project; Peter King, who has created a visually exciting and immersive audience experience.

Are all the objects sourced locally from Australian collectors and enthusiasts? 

Yes, everything in the exhibition has come from within Australia, from both public institutions and generous private lenders. When we set out to curate Molto Bello we were very fortunate to have the guidance and assistance of a number of passionate collectors and researchers who shared their connections. We’ve been hugely impressed by the amount of fabulous and, in some instances very rare, Italian design objects that we were able to source locally through word-of-mouth. It really reflects the high level of interest in the subject. We should add that Leonard Joel staff have been incredibly helpful in facilitating loans from private collectors who have acquired items at past auctions. Wherever possible, we’ve sought to include vintage pieces. We’ve also worked with major design brands who have kindly lent re-editioned examples to ensure the breadth of Italian design has been represented in the exhibition narrative. 

Gaetano Pesce, Pratt Chair 1984, polyurethane resin, 93.5 x 49 x 51cm. Courtesy Neon Parc, Melbourne

What are your favourite pieces from the exhibition? Anything you would love to take home?

As curators it is always difficult to pick favourites! In selecting objects for the exhibition, we were drawn to pieces that have aesthetic quality, originality, high production values, an embrace of technological advancements and fascinating stories behind them. One of our personal favourites is Gaetano Pesce’s UP5 chair. Affectionately known as ‘La Mamma’ because of its voluptuous feminine form and its round ‘baby’ ottoman, connected by a cord. The original version was made of a new type of foam and came flat packed in a PVC envelope which self-inflated when taken out. Legend has it that Pesce’s initial idea for the chair came from compressing and releasing a shower sponge. 

Other exhibition highlights for us include Cini Boeri’s ethereal Ghost chair of 1987, made of a single sheet of glass. As well as a rare folding screen, based on a 1917 drawing by the futurist artist Giacomo Balla, produced by the design entrepreneur Dino Gavina in 1971. The Balla screen is a stunning orchestration of vibrant geometric forms suggesting the essence of forms in movement. 

We’d also both love to take home some of Ettore Sottsass’s ceramics, or any of the incredible lamps in the exhibition, such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni’s famous Arco of 1962. Also, Tobia Scarpa’s Fantasma resin standing lamp of 1961, or Gae Aulenti’s remarkable Pipistrello of 1965, which echoes the shape of a bat’s wings. One would be very happy to take home the vintage Vespa as well! 

By Rebecca Stormont, Modern Design Specialist

Top Image: Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, UP5 Chair (La Mamma) 1969, polyurethane foam covered in stretch fabric, armchair 103 x 120 x 130cm, ottoman 57cm (diam.) 

November 2024