Autumn is getting off to a good start: from 10th to 12th October the fifth edition of Operae: Independent Design Festival was held in Turin. Founded as a self-produced design market, in the first edition (2010) it was divided into three small sections in the city center and took place in the overcrowded week of Artissima, the contemporary art fair. In 2010 the selection of exhibitors was already excellent, as the following years.

The intent to bring independent designers in the exhibition with their works produced in (inevitably) limited editions, has not changed: rather new initiatives have been placed next to the main theme.

This year the location was really great: Torino Esposizioni is a somewhat forgotten location, often mentioned by newspapers in relation to ambitious projects of some museum institution or university; projects then promptly abandoned.

I really appreciate the effort of setting up Operae in this huge and beautiful location, designed by Pier Luigi Nervi, although not all sections have benefited from the dimensions of space: at the entrance, the Fruit – Self publishing exhibition area was too big for the few banquets and the posters, hung on a huge background wall, seem as lost. A shame, given the quality of the independent artists presenting their works and publishings.

It was really nailed instead the installation of Piemonte Handmade section “20 small businesses. 20 traditional know-how witnesses. 20 stories of passion, research, and technical know-how”, to which the Operae catalogue devoted considerable space too.

You could peek into the labs of some of the most interesting artisans in the Turin area, through a large photo of the owner in his work environment and a range of craft objects presented on low tables. There are old acquaintances: Alberto Tallone Editore, amazing books printer, using its own font etched by hand on the finest cotton papers. Andrea Bouquet in his Piccola Falegnameria, where he recovers old furniture from the mountain area to give them a new life; I think he is a kind of modern Geppetto, when he says: “Sometimes I spend days staring at a single piece of wood looking for the perfect life for it. I run away with an idea to do something and I simply do it.” The Bottega Fagnola, a bookbinder who creates high-quality works, another artisan company in which passion and knowledge are handed down from father to daughter. The Arazzeria Scassa, about which I wrote my first graduation final dissertation, and for whom I feel a particular affection: Ugo Scassa still carries on the business but he is worried about the future of the company. It would be a shame if, after him, the workshop-museum would have to close.

In the section there are also some interesting companies I did not know before. Just to mention three of them: Adeglas, making polycarbonate (plexiglas) objects in the very city center; Antica Fabbrica MV1843, producing trimmings already appreciated by the Savoy royal family and today ordered by the international fashion industry and by the most eminent theaters. Co.Bi., fine fibers manufacture in Biella, which pursues the aim of returning to sustainable production, providing “natural colors, non-invasive cashmere manipulation, matching it with other raw materials.”
For all other craftsmen included in the exhibition, visit the dedicated page on Operae website.

Among the side projects presented at Operae, there was MARCA (supported by the Chamber of Commerce of Turin, in collaboration with the Foreign Centre for Internationalisation), a collection of everyday objects, designed and produced in the Turin area, thanks to the collaboration between designers and manufacturers. The interesting aspect is that all objects can be customized by the purchaser, providing a sort of uniqueness to the finished product: Aurora, born from the collaboration between NUCLEO and Caino Design, is a lamp that can take different forms, thanks to a deep research on the technical qualities of the metal subjected to photochemical machining. Crocetta, by LAM and Tessitura Rivese, is a laser engraved and welded tent, with the possibility of infinite customizations, especially for the cross stitch super fans!

Finally, Cool de Sac, a project to create awareness about the issue of job insecurity in the cultural field, supporting the creation of a line of bag-manifesto, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino. The project is being carried out by four women: Nicoletta Daldanise, Irene Pittatore, Marinella Bianco and Carlotta Palamenghi. I will write about this again.

>> Shortly, a report about the designers exhibiting at the festival <<