English (UK)
“The hand is the window of the mind” (E. Kant), and this event aims to be a tool, not an end, to reflect, with the author of the works, the sculptor Antonio Salinari, on craftsmanship and its natural relationship with art.
In particular, we will reflect on:
The importance of starting from the distinctive values of Italian craftsmanship to relaunch sustainable development.
The essential strengthening of technology and innovation, while maintaining their service to tradition (Craftsmanship 4.0).
The accessibility of art when it leaves institutional spaces to reach out to people, in more open and inclusive spaces.
To communicate these ideas, we have placed sculptures in a living context, where they acquire meaning and dialogue with the objects present.
The context is the historic F.lli Lorenzi cutlery shop at Corso di Porta Romana 1 in Milan, where many artisanal items are crafted and enhanced.
Mediterraneo - winning work at the 2018 Monte Carlo Biennial
The distinction between sculptures and such products lies in the fact that the latter are everyday objects, often handmade and always with natural materials, while the work of art is above all a narrative, possessing meaning and form.
In this specific case, some of Antonio Salinari's sculptures narrate precisely this high craftsmanship, through fragments of wood and "know-how" from the restoration of historic Piedmontese buildings (wood paneling, furniture, parquet, etc.). These fragments, reassembled using both woodworking techniques and digital technology, give shape to new chessboards that represent the challenge of the future and the need to "learn to learn," maintaining roots in tradition while also looking to the future.
In short, the event's aim is to place the figure of the craftsman back at the center of economic thought, the connection he creates between tradition and innovation, his ability to create long-lasting products, and, last but not least, the place he deserves in the imagination of young people.
Cambio di Paradigma
ANTONIO SALINARI
An IT engineer and manager, in 2006 he met sculptor Franco Alessandria, who would become his mentor. Thus, in tune with the theories of Richard Sennett, he gradually returned to his old passions: drawing, sculpture, and furniture design.
His sculptures symbolize not only environmental protection through the recycling of materials, but also the encounter between traditional know-how and digital technology.
Since 2015, he has been exhibiting, participating in group shows, fairs, and biennials in Austria, France, Germany, England, and Italy. Solo exhibitions in Turin at the Galleria d’Arte Malinpensa in 2016 and 2018. He won the Monte Carlo Biennale prize in 2018.
He is currently working on projects related to the accessibility of art, such as the creation of Contemporary Art Trails in Nature (France and Italy), and to regional development through creative tourism, the enhancement of the Torre Delfinale in Oulx, and the revival of the Alta Valle Susa School of Sculpture.
FRATELLI LORENZI CUTLERY
In Milan since 1919, we have always sought out Italian excellence and offered unique and precious objects thanks to their craftsmanship.
In the 1960s, at the height of the economic boom and generational renewal, the Lorenzi family expanded their product offering from a simple grinding shop to a retailer of everyday items, always maintaining the highest quality. Today, we still offer the finest artisanal kitchen, collectible, and leisure cutlery, crafted with artisanal care and respect for natural materials.
The store offers a total of over 5,000 items including cutlery (kitchen, sports, and collectibles), personal care products (razors, shaving creams, perfumes, manicures, mirrors, and more), specialty products (such as limited edition lighters, DNA-based face creams, and custom-made umbrellas) and items finished in natural materials (mother-of-pearl, fine woods, and natural horns—cow, buffalo, and deer).
Three generations of the Lorenzi family. From left in the shop on Corso Magenta 1: Olimpio Lorenzi, then his son Renzo, and finally Renzo's son Andrea. Last on the right is Marcello Lorenzi in the shop on Porta Romana 1.