Roman Molds Under Siege
At the latest Design Miami, the Swiss studio Kueng Caputo displayed a collection of objects inspired by the architecture of the famous Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, the headquarters of the Fendi house in Rome.
Fendi and design, it’s an old story! It all started in 2008, at Design Miami, with design talks that brought together a young creative team, from the Campana brothers to Tom Dixon. It didn’t stop there: the following year, the brand did it again at Milan’s Salone del Mobile, with Craft Punk, a performance where the designers, supported by the craftsmen of the house, had a blast reinventing manufacturing methods. A series of amazing collaborations have followed each year: in Miami, Milan and Basel. This year, at Design Miami, Fendi’s creative director, Silvia Venturini called on the Swiss studio Kueng Caputo, led by Sarah Kueng and Lovis Caputo. They created Roman Molds, a collection of ten objects inspired by the architecture of Fendi’s Italian headquarters, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
How did this collaboration begin?
About ten years ago Fendi established a close partnership with Design Miami. Together, they examine and select tomorrow’s talents for future collaborations. In our case, it was the directors of the fair, Rodman Primack and Rudy Weissenberg who, among others, suggested our name. Then, we were lucky to have aroused the interest of Silvia Venturini at Fendi, who selected us for this edition.
Why do you think the brand selected you? What is your main strength?
At Kueng Caputo, for each new project we think that it is important to question the norm, to transcend the obvious and to express a different opinion. We always approach a situation with a unique and critical point of view, without limiting ourselves to what we already know or what has already been done. Despite our many collaborations, our passion remains intact, as did the desire to work as a team. Fendi gave us a carte blanche with incredible freedom in terms of creation and experimentation. This created the possibility of also making new discoveries, while bringing across our point of view.
How did the inspiration for Roman Molds and these new designer pieces come about?
Usually, when we approach a new project we try to make our works reflect a reaction, resulting from our perception. The first time we visited the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, Fendi’s headquarters in Rome, we were impressed by the building, its proportions, the way it occupies the surrounding space. And especially by the light and shadow. We immediately knew that it would be the foundation of our project and that this building would inspire us for this new adventure. In our pieces, we therefore tried to reinterpret this alternation between empty and full, just like the repetition of the arches and the purity of the lines. By studying the identity of the brand, we discovered in the archives that Fendi was a specialist in counterparts, staging oppositions in dialogue and creations in which contrasts admirably coexist, thus contributing to