Zodiac is an exhibition conceived by Creative Academy, Richemont International Design School, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels and in partnership with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art. The renowned French High Jewellery Maison supported the project and provided the inspiration, nourishing the imagination of twenty young designers with its collection dedicated to the Western Zodiac. In the expert hands of Tonino Negri, ceramist based in Lodi, nominated MAM-Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere by the Cologni Foundation, the creative ideas of the students will be moulded into design objects. The Zodiac exhibition is completed by an immersive stage setting: twelve majestic sculptures hold the objects from the collection, allowing visitors to experience a 'face-to-face' with their own zodiac sign. This special encounter is framed by the Sala Azzurra of Palazzo Litta, a symbolic building of the Milanese Baroque style.
Creative Academy students were asked to “delve into the skies”, become aware of being part of a whole and find themselves in one of the signs of the zodiac. In the Zodiac collection, the four fundamental elements Fire, Earth, Air and Water are joined by a fifth: ceramic. A simple and enduring material that embodies the history of human beings, art and technique. For Zodiac, the students designed unique pieces, which were then translated into concrete forms by the Master Ceramist. In the context of the Master of Arts in Design and Applied Arts, Zodiac is a project designed to promote dialogue between designers and Master artisans. Just as the horoscope finds its origin in the four elements Fire, Earth, Air and Water, so Tonino Negri develops his production around the idea that ceramics, a material as pure as it is archaic, can contain these primordial elements to tell timeless stories. Zodiac also brings its mystery to the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in via Monte Napoleone, with the unrepeatable opportunity to discover six more works from the exhibition. In this exclusive location, the evocative atmosphere of Palazzo Litta is recreated, with six imposing statues displaying the design objects, in dialogue with Van Cleef & Arpels' Zodiaque jewellery collection. The latter offers new interpretations of the signs of the Western Zodiac and celebrates emblematic creations from its heritage.
Download the press release
