Design in symphony

The violin-making tradition of Cremona has become part of Unesco’s list of intangible cultural assets for humanity. A great result, the merit for which must go to the city of Cremona, which has preserved the craft and handed it down through the generations, bringing the prestige of this tradition to the forefront and establishing itself as the world’s capital of violin and music. This recognition has been the catalyst for different important initiatives, such as the creation of the new Museum of the Violin, located in the Palazzo dell'Arte of Cremona - a world first - which illustrates the history of the violin, the methods of construction of bowed instruments and the vicissitudes of the Cremonese violin makers. It also displays masterpieces of classic and contemporary violin-making and houses a library and auditorium. It is an extraordinary meeting place for violin enthusiasts and violin specialists and for cultural and educational activities. To celebrate this great success, the Municipality of Cremona has organised a unique exhibition that unites the world of the violin with fashion, design and contemporary art. It showcases "8 variations for Stradivarius", design symphonies created by world-famous artists. A unique creative event that celebrates the passion for Stradivarius, the violin and art. Francesco Ballestrazzi has hand-crafted a haute couture silk hat in the form of a deconstructed and deformed violin, as if the music itself had created the violin. Roberto Cambi has fashioned “Meteorite 19189” in metal, a work teeming with sparkling violins, dust and stars, which have fallen to Earth to pay homage Stradivarius. Alfredo Drago Rens has created “Vivrato Stradivari”, a work that gives movement and depth to the violin with the intention of reawakening the ability to rediscover different levels of interpretation that are generally difficult to achieve. Kobi Levi has created a sculpture in homage to the violin as an instrument, which was made in his studio in Tel-Aviv using a technical evolution that brought the design to life: a wearable sculpture. Luigi Mariani has produced a circular sofa with a central backrest in form of a violin, which was developed using unique materials and an extreme shape, and constructed entirely by hand. Paolo Regis has captured the sound and vibrations of thousands of people in the photograph “Music Power for Stradivarius”, removing everything that divides them. Stefano Russo with the work “Ecstasy“was inspired by the pure sound, the human being and his relationship with man, creating a work that depicts a violin string fluttering in the air - an ‘ecstasy’ of harmony and melody. Sunghee Kim has paid tribute to Stradivarius with a jewellery piece: the necklace “8 Variations of Lights and Shadows” made with eight rows of river pearls and eight rows of faceted onyx beads held together by two brooches in the form of a silver f-hole. Finally, “Violin Dress” is a dress in the shape of a violin with semi-precious stones with two f-holes covered in silver balls, and a black spiral on the back, a symbol of the violin scrall. The creativity of contemporary design, the result of the skill and dexterity of these artists, enables us centuries later to experience the essence of the legacy of the violinmaking art, of which Cremona is the capital and which with farsightedness it promotes its preservation and cultural enrichment.