Desacralized

For the 2023 edition of Milan Design Week, Galerie Philia is delighted to present Desacralized, an offsite exhibition featuring over 20 established and emerging international designers, each exploring the concept of desacralisation.

Staged in San Vittore e 40 Martiri, a deconsecrated church located in the centre of Milan, Desacralized is the first major exhibition to take place in this space. Originally built in the 11th century, the edifice closed for worship in the late 18th century and has since served many purposes for the local community. Most recently, it was used as a basketball court and playground.

It is this long and rich history and, most notably, the transformation of the church into a secular building that has inspired Galerie Philia to conceive this exhibition. Each designer was invited to give their personal interpretation of the notion of desacralisation and take inspiration from objects which formerly had religious associations and have now become solely functional, serving our everyday life. The only imperative the group collectively agreed on was that the works created should be entirely white.

At the centre of the exhibition is a monumental chandelier by Italian design duo Morghen Studio. Titled Cascades of Light, this sculptural installation transcends and sublimes the iconic significance of the historic chandelier, offering visitors a transformative experience of light. Studiopepe has created a small architectural marble table inspired by the ancient baptisteries in Italy – the table has six sides to represent spiritual balance and has an uneven top referencing the unfinished ‘Non Finito’ by Michelangelo. Pietro Franceschini shows a curvature coffee table, playing with the concept of materiality and transformation, whilst Kar Studio showcases a chair inspired by China’s oldest script from the Shang Dynasty. In her abstract light sculptures, Elsa Foulon explores the use of seashells, a motif omnipresent in the iconography of Christianity and the history of art. We used marble, a material that is part of our vocabulary, a material with a strong connection with sacral architecture and objects.

Key international designers will also unveil ‘desacralised’ creations: Rick Owens brings a never- before-seen chair; Arno Declercq shows a large scale uniquely formed dining table, using white for the first time in his work; Henry Wilson exhibits a Pagoda table lamp, inspired by the shapes of an altar and a Japanese temple; Andrés Monnier shows one of his eye-catching firepits made of rock; and Pierre de Valck showcases a fountain – a construction which historically symbolises change and life.

This year’s exhibition in Milan concludes the third chapter in the gallery’s exhibition trilogy exploring the sacred. The first iteration in 2021, entitled Rick Owens in dialogue with Italian emerging designers, used a postapocalyptic aesthetic to delve into the mystical and the dialogue between the ancient and contemporary ages. The second iteration in 2022 unveiled Temenos, Studiopepe’s first collection of collectible design which explored the notion of sacredness in its anthropological and historical complexity.

Ygaël Attali, Director of Galerie Philia and curator of the exhibition says: ‘Objects bear witness to the past - they carry memories and their function is defined by the era in which they were created. Sacred objects have all these qualities but they also transcend their physicality to achieve a spiritual and symbolic value. Desacralized is the third and last of our Milan exhibitions exploring the theme of sacredness and seeks to question the notion of desacralisation, in both its emotional and spiritual manifestations.’

PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS

Andres Monnier (Mexico), Arno Declercq (Belgium), Boldizar Senteski (Hungary), Draga & Aurel (Serbia/Germany), Elisa Uberti (France), Elsa Foulon (France), Faina (Ukraine), Flora Temnouche (France), Frédéric Saulou (France), Henry Wilson (Australia), Imperfettolab (Italy), Isac Elam Kaid (Canada), Jan Garncarek (Poland), Kar Studio (China), Laura Pasquino (Holland), Lucas Morten (Sweden), Morghen (Italy), Niclas Wolf (Germany), Pietro Franceschini (Italy), Pierre de Valck (Belgium), Rick Owens (US), Samuel Costantini (Italy), Studiopepe (Italy), Willem van Hooff (Holland) and William Guillon (France).

Desacralized
Address: San Vittore e 40 Martiri, Viale Lucania, 18, 20139 Milano MI, Italy
Exhibition dates: 18 – 23rd April 2023