Nomad is a fair of collectible design and art unlike any other. First of all because, as the name implies, it is nomadic: since 2017, the year of its debut, it has visited Monaco, Sankt Moritz, Venice and Cannes (for a more virtual edition). Secondly, because it avoids the traditional format of this type of event, which would usually welcome large numbers of visitors to trade fair pavilions. Instead, Nomad turns this upside-down: sensational locations for a carefully selected audience. The experience thus becomes radically different, a moment of exchange, socializing and discovery.
Draga & Aurel, Golia coffee table in resin and concrete, Photo © Federica Lissoni
From 6 to 10 July, Nomad organizes its 10th event in Capri, for the first time on the island,
choosing an exceptional setting: the Certosa di San Giacomo, a complex of buildings and
cloisters dating back to 1371 and located near the famous Piazzetta.
Interior of the Certosa di San Giacomo. Photo courtesy Nomad
Roberto Sironi, Delphi Chair, marmo di Rima. Photo courtesy Carwan Gallery
The participating galleries are 11 in number, from around the world (London, New York, Shanghai, Naples, Piacenza, Mexico City, and so on), joined by ten special projects. The latter include: Coralia by Draga & Aurel + Rossana Orlandi, Hand Written Stories by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Patricia Urquiola (curated by Gianluigi Ricuperati, powered by Aspesi), Genetic Variations by Christian Pellizzari, Ogni angelo ha il suo lato spaventoso (“Every Angel Has a Dark Side”) by Julian Schnabel, presented by Marco Voena and Cy Schnabel.
Julian Schnabel, Ogni Angelo Ha Il Suo Lato Spaventoso, inkjet print, ink, gesso on polyester
“The starting point was the desire to do a counter-fair, to meet the desires of major collectors, who are increasingly demanding, in search of exclusive experiences,” says the art advisor Giorgio Pace, who together with Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte (architect and design curator) has created the event. “We have always chosen special places of architectural interest, which are not always open to the public. The objective is to convey the impression of entering a home with art, furniture, lots of beautiful things.”
Ceramic coffee table withFontana Arte glass top, Photo © Fausto Mazza Studio courtesy Volumnia, Piacenza
Interior of the Certosa di San Giacomo. Photo courtesy Nomad
Plans for the future? “There are many places that have contacted us: Oslo, Spetses (Greece), Qatar. We have become a brand, a concept that brings a high level of visitors, galleries and journalists. The search for the location is just one part of our work. The places we choose should always have a network of collectors, beautiful homes to open up in the events we organize for our VIP visitors, interesting situations,” Pace continues. In the meantime, for one week Capri becomes the epicenter of a world of creativity. Awaiting a new destination.
