Fondazione Berengo Celebrates Memphis Group with 'Plastic Field' Exhibition in Venice
During the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, Fondazione Berengo mounted 'Memphis – Plastic Field,' a retrospective curated by Jean Blanchaert and Adriano Berengo at Palazzo Franchetti. The show covers the collective's full active period from 1981 to 1987, featuring works by Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanini, Michele De Lucchi, Martine Bedin, Aldo Cibic, Shiro Kuramata, Alessandro Mendini, Matteo Thun, Masanori Umeda, George Sowden, Andrea Branzi, Nathalie Du Pasquier, and others. The installation reimagines the palace's layout through the geometric structure of Sottsass's iconic Carlton bookcase. Rooms are furnished as a real home, with thematic corners highlighting specific production lines, such as glass—a material Sottsass and his followers explored extensively in Venice. Iconic pieces include Peter Shire's Bel Air armchair, Martine Bedin's Super lamp on wheels, Sottsass's Casablanca cabinet, and Sowden's D'Antibes. The exhibition coincides with a 'Memphis Renaissance' marked by the centenary of Sottsass's birth, reissues, and new productions under the Memphis label, including a recent collection by Du Pasquier and Sowden.
Key facts
- The exhibition 'Memphis – Plastic Field' was held at Fondazione Berengo's Palazzo Franchetti in Venice during the 2018 Architecture Biennale.
- Curated by Jean Blanchaert and Adriano Berengo, the show covers the Memphis Group's activity from 1981 to 1987.
- The installation uses the geometric structure of Sottsass's Carlton bookcase to reshape the palace's floor plan.
- Works by Sottsass, Zanini, De Lucchi, Bedin, Cibic, Kuramata, Mendini, Thun, Umeda, Sowden, Branzi, Du Pasquier, and others are displayed as if in a real home.
- Thematic corners highlight specific production lines, including glass works by Sottsass and Marco Zanini's Alpha Centauri vase.
- Iconic pieces include Peter Shire's Bel Air armchair, Martine Bedin's Super lamp, Sottsass's Casablanca cabinet, and George Sowden's D'Antibes.
- The exhibition is part of a broader 'Memphis Renaissance' coinciding with the centenary of Sottsass's birth.
- Kartell released a capsule collection in 2015 including reissues and new pieces by Sottsass and Du Pasquier.
- Du Pasquier and Sowden have reunited to produce a new collection of furniture, ceramics, carpets, and drawings.
Entities
Artists
- Ettore Sottsass
- Marco Zanini
- Michele De Lucchi
- Martine Bedin
- Aldo Cibic
- Shiro Kuramata
- Alessandro Mendini
- Matteo Thun
- Masanori Umeda
- George Sowden
- Andrea Branzi
- Nathalie Du Pasquier
- Peter Shire
- Jean Blanchaert
- Adriano Berengo
- Bob Dylan
Institutions
- Fondazione Berengo
- Palazzo Franchetti
- Memphis Group
- Kartell
- Salone del Mobile
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Milan
- Palazzo Franchetti