outfitting of the “Alvar Aalto 1898-1976” exhibition at the Fruttiere di Palazzo Te (MN)
(with N.Marras, graphics Tassinari/Vetta)

Alvar Aalto 1898-1976 is the Italian edition of the exhibition organized by the New Your MoMA. The exhibition is outfitted in courtly spaces at Montova by Achille Castiglioni e Nicola Marras with quite diverse criteria from the New Yourker version ones: “In the Fruttiere of Palazzo Te”, we created a gallery occupying two of the three aisles”, explain the designers, pointing out the intimate nature of the outfitting, in a strong reflexive occasion in which it is always a exhibition about architectonic themes -, unitary space of apparent consistency deliberately provisional, in counterpoint to solidity and the duration of the hosted architecture and, in the case of the exhibition about Aalto, the exhibited architecture.” From the entrance a significant giant Alvar Aalto graphic invites the entry in the Fruttiere aisles. Here, the outfitting with the white inclined walls draw a gallery of black and white photographs, original and plastic drawings, in an ordered and very readable itinerary. At any project presentation it is maintained a strict and continuous confront between original materials (had drawn sketches of the author and project drawings) distributed over the wall and photographs, texts and captions, paginated in a bookstand below, that wind themselves following the wall throughout its almost 200 linear meters. The presence of 11 blowups punctuates the route, indicating the many projects that constitute the main steps of Aalto‘s work, documented among the other 50 works in exhibition. The infinite models complete the documentation of many projects, exposing the overall volume or highlighting particular aspects regarding specific supports. In the center of the gallery, following the pillars rhythm, are present self related elementary shack volumes, within which are exposed soma lamps designed by Aalto that are still in production. The lightning of the gallery is reflected by fabric panels, suspended above the inclined walls. An elected selection of the Finn Form objects of Alvar Aalto industrial design collection is instead exposed, at the exhibition closing, at the Palazzo Te halls, a direct comparison with Giulio Romano’s masterpiece. “Such objects – yet specify the designers – define a route alongside to the palace visiting one: between the two are created appropriated interferences, without violating its differences and its mutual autonomy. At least, occurs to indicate that the gallery realized at the Fruttiere has been thought with immediate objective of responding the requirements of the Alvar Aalto exhibition, but also in the perspective of being able to subsequently host different exhibitions”