Set Design
AD ARCO
Cover
AMIGOS
Set design recreating an XXL-format cover of AD magazine for the ARCO 2020 contemporary art fair.
Inspired by Elmgreen & Dragset‘s work ‘Friends,’ the installation proposes a unique domestic corner full of personality, where elements of design and contemporary art coexist. The installation incorporates vases from Ana Locking’s ‘Amphora’ collection, iconic furniture by Joe Colombo and Formica marble surfaces, creating a dialogue between functionality, sculpture and editorial aesthetics that invites visitors to explore the space as an artistic stage in itself.
AMIGOS
Set design recreating an XXL-format cover of AD magazine for the ARCO 2020 contemporary art fair.
Inspired by Elmgreen & Dragset‘s work ‘Friends,’ the installation proposes a unique domestic corner full of personality, where elements of design and contemporary art coexist. The installation incorporates vases from Ana Locking’s ‘Amphora’ collection, iconic furniture by Joe Colombo and Formica marble surfaces, creating a dialogue between functionality, sculpture and editorial aesthetics that invites visitors to explore the space as an artistic stage in itself.
The new generations—post-millennial, Gen Z, and Alpha—will play a decisive role in shaping the moral, social, and aesthetic codes of a future in which artifice and virtualization will set the pace of our emotional relationships. In a context where the pressure to remain in the public eye intensifies, the boundaries between private and public life become blurred, fostering a society increasingly centered on spectacle. Without this spectacular component, ideas lose force within a collective defined by ever-shorter and more fragmented attention spans.
This dynamic creates a paradox: while opinion becomes more democratized, the capacity for individual autonomy may be limited. As Easton Ellis observes: “When this occurs, a door opens to a very dark room from which there is truly no escape. Will they start monitoring your thoughts, then your feelings, then your impulses? And, ultimately, can they eventually monitor your dreams?”
Against this conceptual backdrop, the installation pays tribute to the performative work of Elmgreen & Dragset, extending the energy and gesture of their works beyond the exhibited object and creating an environment where art, design, and everyday life intersect.
In the piece Friends, an iconic element of gay aesthetics is incorporated—one that Elmgreen & Dragset frequently ironize in their reinterpretations of Greco-Roman sculptures. This motif serves as the starting point for the spatial development, articulated through two columns that house and extend our Amphoras ceramics by Ana Locking. Joe Colombo’s Elda armchair, upholstered in white leather and rotating 360º, produces a bubble effect that accentuates the intimacy of the space. Beside it, the L.A. Studio sideboard, lacquered in glossy black with brass handles and rose agate details, reinforces the theatrical and scenic quality of the installation, while Formica marble surfaces complete the sophisticated and contemporary ambiance.
The experience concludes with a video piece that recreates the intimate narrative of a young person seeking “friendship” through new channels of emotional connection. The audiovisual performance incorporates everyday elements—magazines, clothing, and domestic objects—that establish a dialogue with Elmgreen & Dragset’s universe and reinforce the sense of a living space where design, art, and life converge within a single scene.
The new generations—post-millennial, Gen Z, and Alpha—will play a decisive role in shaping the moral, social, and aesthetic codes of a future in which artifice and virtualization will set the pace of our emotional relationships. In a context where the pressure to remain in the public eye intensifies, the boundaries between private and public life become blurred, fostering a society increasingly centered on spectacle. Without this spectacular component, ideas lose force within a collective defined by ever-shorter and more fragmented attention spans.
This dynamic creates a paradox: while opinion becomes more democratized, the capacity for individual autonomy may be limited. As Easton Ellis observes: “When this occurs, a door opens to a very dark room from which there is truly no escape. Will they start monitoring your thoughts, then your feelings, then your impulses? And, ultimately, can they eventually monitor your dreams?”
Against this conceptual backdrop, the installation pays tribute to the performative work of Elmgreen & Dragset, extending the energy and gesture of their works beyond the exhibited object and creating an environment where art, design, and everyday life intersect.
In the piece Friends, an iconic element of gay aesthetics is incorporated—one that Elmgreen & Dragset frequently ironize in their reinterpretations of Greco-Roman sculptures. This motif serves as the starting point for the spatial development, articulated through two columns that house and extend our Amphoras ceramics by Ana Locking. Joe Colombo’s Elda armchair, upholstered in white leather and rotating 360º, produces a bubble effect that accentuates the intimacy of the space. Beside it, the L.A. Studio sideboard, lacquered in glossy black with brass handles and rose agate details, reinforces the theatrical and scenic quality of the installation, while Formica marble surfaces complete the sophisticated and contemporary ambiance.
The experience concludes with a video piece that recreates the intimate narrative of a young person seeking “friendship” through new channels of emotional connection. The audiovisual performance incorporates everyday elements—magazines, clothing, and domestic objects—that establish a dialogue with Elmgreen & Dragset’s universe and reinforce the sense of a living space where design, art, and life converge within a single scene.
