TELA | Matteo Serra

TELA is the place where visual and performing arts meet mixology, a curated quality conscious cultural melting pot. In other words, TELA is an “art bar”

The location’s original spatial configuration has been maintained and strengthened. The two adjoining rooms are themed by different functions: the first is mainly intended for the preparation of drinks and for consumption at the counter; the second is equipped both for consumption at the table and for hosting exhibitions.

The physical contiguity of the two rooms is accompanied by a conceptual one: in the first, as in an “atelier”, the artwork is created; in the second, as in a “gallery”, it is savored.

The room-gallery, the most emblematic and representative space of TELA, is the manifesto of a union between the various forms of art that has the power to immerse the client/visitor in a fascinating multi-sensory experience.

Every aesthetic choice is aimed at the search for neutrality to better enhance the artworks on display. The color of the walls, the adjustable spotlights and the resin of the floor play an interesting role in the overall scenography of the rooms: the tone of the walls emphasizes the displays without straining the visitor's eye, the light projects its shadow and dialogues with the resin that blends its color with the reflections of the artworks, making the "museum" experience even more immersive.

In line with Italian designer Enzo Mari's idea of ​​"auto-progettazione", the technical detail of the architectural project was thoroughly studied to be able to be created independently by non-expert hands (all the wooden works are custom made and designed specifically for TELA).

The wooden frame is the common denominator of the two rooms: the regular pitch of the vertical uprights fixed to the walls makes it possible to conceal all the elements that disturb its linearity such as doors, radiators, etc. and, at the same time, it is the generating element of the bar counter, characterizing its aesthetics and determining its positioning and size.

The one of the bathroom is a theme that arises from the analysis of the stratigraphy of a painting: starting from the back, in succession, it is made up of a wooden frame, white canvas and actual painting.

This sequence of images represents the experience of accessing the services: the disengagement's door is configured as the back of a large painting with its frame on display; opening it leads to the disengagement, a completely white and aseptic space, almost blinding, in stark contrast to the bathroom which, on the contrary, is a surprising explosion of color (that you can only discover by going to TELA)!

(project made with the consultancy of Martina Parati; photo credits: Gabriele Giussani; artworks on display by Umberto Pettinicchio)