ClassiOnda at New York "Shapes of Value"

he future possibilities of success of products on the global market are strictly connected with the ability of making these goods and products recognisable by an extra-value deriving from the link with the territory and landscape, especially in specific contexts like Tuscany which has a clear place in everybody's imagination. This connotation, made of formal, structural, environmental, ethical and material aspects, seems stronger even because less imitable. Moving from these ideas, Casa Toscana in New York aimed at presenting the Tuscan production system in the furniture and decoration sectors by using the significance of the perception that Tuscany has in people's mind. Ten designers interpreted the Tuscan house and the manufacturing system in the region. In New York ten prototypes, developed by Italian designers and made by the leading Tuscan enterprises in home furnishing and interior decoration. Some items, made on purpose, were symbols and map out the route. Furniture, together with pottery and fittings, could evoke the innovations of a region, which is developing in the respect of traditions, protecting the environment and promoting products as identity elements. Paolo Ulian, Biagio Cisotti and Sandra Laube, Simone Micheli, Claudio Bellini, Matteo Ragni and Giulio Iacchetti, Paolo Grasselli, Prospero Rasulo, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Luca Scacchetti and Nucleo Design were the designers. The exhibition The Shape of values. Ten designers interpret the Tuscan house was inaugurated on 7th November in New York and was open till 18th November in the showroom of Felissimo Design House (10 West 56th Street / NY 10019). It was a multimedia exhibition aiming at speaking about Tuscan home furnishing enterprises, able to represent the local identity. The link with the imagination was the main vehicle of communication. This idea was developed by Centro Sperimentale del Mobile of Poggibonsi and Consorzio Casa Toscana and promoted by Toscana Promozione and by the Government of the Tuscan Region. The purpose of the exhibition was to show the Tuscan production system regarding furnishing and fittings. Five key ideas identified Tuscany: Innovating tradition, Developing with nature, Production as identity, Evoking meanings, Connoting with art. For the section Innovating tradition, Luca Sacchetti worked with Vilca designing and producing dishes and glasses, Nucleo Design Solution worked together with Travertino Giganti designing exterior relax equipment. For the section Developing with nature, Claudio Bellini developed a compact and modular system to contain, cook and refrigerate food for Del Tongo, while Massimo Iosa Ghini created a chaise-longue padded with water lily for BRF. For the section Production as identity, Paolo Grasselli developed a system of modular padded units for Halto, while Biagio Cisotti and Sandra Laube designed a window / case for Ceccotti Collezioni. For Evoking meanings Simone Micheli designed a fireplace in "peperino" marble for Amiata Marmi. For this section also Paolo Ulian worked designing garden tables and stools for Segis. For the last section, Connoting with art, Prospero Rasulo designed a new chandelier for Marioni and Matteo Ragni and Giulio Iacchetti created a carpet for Parentesi Quadra. Giuseppe Furlanis, Director of ISIA in Florence, Massimo Ruffilli, President of the Degree Course of Industrial Design at the University of Florence, Enzo Legnante, Director of the Department of Architecture and Design Technologies "Pierluigi Spadolini" at the University of Florence were members of the scientific committee and chose the key ideas. The exhibition showed all the Tuscan production system and most of the setting up included virtual and interactive sections. There followed one another some images of products with the relevant historic, art and landscape features in the area, classified following the same leading ideas used by the designers. After the success of New York, the same exhibition was repeated at Bar Plasma of Florence www.virtualplasma.it. It was launched on 22nd May and lasted 15 days.