“Counterbalance: the Design Poetry of Angelo Mangiarotti” is the name of the exhibition that Agapecasa staged in an apartment in an old building in Brera. The exhibition can be enjoyed by anyone who wants a to take break from the frenzy of the Salone del Mobile and the Fuorisalones. It is dedicated to visitors at the Milan event who are looking for an exciting, culturally significant dive into the past, into the history of design defined by its (many) ideas and simplicity.
There was no need for special effects to add more appeal to what can rightly be considered as a small museum showcasing the projects of Angelo Mangiarotti and the central role of Agapecasa.
Indeed, the deliberate simplicity of the exhibition set-up places all the emphasis on the works of one of the greatest 20th century designers.
The Eros, Eccentrico, Incas and Asolo tables, the Tre 3, Club 44 and Clizia chairs, the Cavalletto bookcase: each piece of furniture has its own space and almost its own privacy, accompanied by an attractive backlit wall sign whose vintage style recalls, should it be necessary, that these products were designed a few decades ago and visitors can appreciate their surprisingly contemporary look.
The furniture world often (perhaps too much) talks about products “on the border between art and design”. Admiring the works of Angelo Mangiarotti is an experience frozen in time: the works were created to fulfil the “banal” function of furnishing a home, but the strength of great design, which first considers the material and intended use and then gives it a form, gave history timeless objects. Until Sunday 9th April, they can be witnessed by everyone.
