Milan A place out of the ordinary, which escapes the dimensions of time and space and eludes the rational perception of those who visit it. Despite Marras born from the restlessness and inspiration of Antonio Marras, artist, stylist and designer from Alghero. A crossroads of meetings and views into new perspectives, in the heart of Milan in via Cola di Rienzo. A concept store that wants to speak to a heterogeneous audience, conceived as a sensorial evolution of traditional shopping.
On the occasion of Furniture expo of Milan, scheduled from 16 to 21 April, Despite Marras it will become the nerve center of some important collaborations linked to the Fuorisalone. Thanks to the shared creative and dialoguing vision of the Rana family and Antonio Marras, the presence of the Temporary Bistrot & Restaurant ‘Famiglia Rana’ is confirmed. Antonio Marras is the author of the creative spark from which the chef Francesco Sodano of the starred restaurant ‘Famiglia Rana’ in Vallese di Oppeano, drew inspiration for the creation of the menu, a fusion of taste and beauty. Available from breakfast to dinner throughout the Fuorisalone, the gastronomic proposal represents a meeting between the most iconic dishes of the restaurant and those dedicated to flavors of the Sardinian land, island of origin of Marras. Sardinia is a place, which ‘could be anchored at any latitude’, of sea and wind, of myths, stories and sailors. It is the twilight of inspiration from which the creativity of Antonio Marras starts. The artist will lead the spectators by the hand who will have the opportunity to dine in the eclectic Atlantis room, to explore the most mysterious and fascinating depths. He will grant them the immersion necessary to investigate and experience ‘The sea where you cannot touch it’.
The showroom will therefore become an environment of emotion and storytelling, in which blue, the color of the sea, will recur with aesthetic force. From the placemats and chargers of the Temporary Bistrot to the walls, which will be decorated with the highest quality wallpaper from Wall&decò, a leading contemporary furniture company. The subjects of the decorations are half-faced sailors, wearing the emblematic striped shirts. Behind them splashes of blue color the waves. The images and stories of seafarers who ‘kiss, leave a promise, leave and never return’, which inspired Antonio Marras. The ceramics will enrich the complexity of the creative identity of the exhibition, created by the Sardinian artist. The exhibition will be installed in the basement of the DespiteMarras showroom and will be characterized by the artistic-perspective simulation of a labyrinth of worn wooden glass doors, which will represent the perimeter and orient the spectators’ path. Thanks to glass, they will be able to look ‘inside’ alternative perspectives and open glimpses of the past and memories.
Every corner of the ball of art imagined by Marras will be manned by hand-embroidered shirts, hung on a hanger and crossed by an electric cable. Inside them, in fact, they will house some lamps, which will descend from the ceiling until they are at eye level. Suggestions, those of the lamps and glass doors, which already inhabited Antonio Marras and which, respectively, inspired him in the creation of 200 lanterns and 150 Little Orphans, on the occasion of ‘Open. Art in the centre’ in Naples, and the exhibition ‘Nulla dies sine linea’ exhibited at the Milan Triennale.
For the interior design of the concept store, Marras created a partnership with Nodo Italia, an Italian outdoor furniture brand that represents an important reality not only in the world of design, but also in that of sustainability. Thanks to its specific know-how in the textile sector, it is capable of creating extremely coordinated environments using different technologies, textures and colours. Models, branded Marras+Nodo, of chairs, sofas and tables were created through the use of fabrics, weaves and knitwear products with different colours. The Eva sofa and chair are made from the combination of mélange rope, blue, burgundy, beige colors and braids with OLYNA yarn, also used for the structural design of four carpets and poufs with padded seats. The Zip sofa has been interpreted starting from knitted panels with a braided structure that is unique in terms of technique and style. The Brique series, on the other hand, is made up of a very material hand-woven weave and a striped blue fabric, the same used for the Via chair. Objects are also the protagonist: the Nodo lanterns, thanks to Marras’ artistic instinct, become composed totems.
Tags: Milan Antonio Marras protagonist Fuorisalone cuisine design Nuova Sardegna
