Design sharing

Ra d i c a l i n t e r i o r s

I n K a s t e l l o r i z o , i n t h e A e g e a n S e a , t h e b o l d p r o j e c t f o r a n a r t i s t ’ s r e s i d e n c e : a c h o r a l s p a c e t a i l o r e d t o t a l e n t

by Paola Carimati — photos by De Pasquale Maffini

Among the four rooms revamped by as many creatives, the project of Swiss-French designer Julie Richoz stands out: it is subtle, but clearly recognisable. The chromatic texture, a colourful rainbow covering the ceiling, continuously defines the living area and bedroom. And integrates space, objects and fabrics.

F o u r y o u n g d e s i g n s t u d i o s t r a n s f o r m a t r a d i t i o n a l h o m e o f s p o n g e t r a d e r s i n t o a n a r t i s t ’ s r e s i d e n c e

From 5Rooms to 4Rooms: Silvia Fiorucci Roman and Annalisa Rosso replicate the collective project format, already successfully tested in Grasse, north of Cannes, to inaugurate in Kastellorizo, in the Aegean Sea, a new artists residence tailored to the community. At the end of September, in fact, the collector, who invented the “Società delle Api” (The Bee Society, an independent no-profit organisation that fosters curators and creatives, researchers, institutions and philanthropists looking for an opportunity for exchange) together with the Italian curator, opened the “Porta Rossa” (The Red Door). It is a historic building in the ancient centre of the village of Kastellorizo, for generations owned by a family of sponge traders and subsequently by the Fiorucci family: “My father loved to stay there in the past, not far from where he anchored his yacht”, Silvia fondly recalls. The excitement of the yachtsman who enters port welcomed by the applause of the locals and the chirping of crickets is unforgettable for anyone arriving by boat or ferry. As the last stronghold of Western culture, Kastellorizo is the most distant island from the Greek coast and the closest to the Turkish one, just 3 km from Ka. “As already experienced in Grasse, I wanted to give continuity to the project, created in collaboration with Villa Noailles”, says the patron. “To produce honey (as bees do) it is necessary to build a community of people who through their

The hallmark of each designer selected by Annalisa Rosso – Silvia Fiorucci Roman, Michael Anastassiades, Alexis Georgacopoulos and Cristiano Raimondi – is apparent in the following pictures: on the left, the total blue of Icelanders Brynjar & Veronika, who focus on chromatic intensity; on the right, the formal and conceptual abstraction of Phanos Kyriacou.

4 R o o m s i s a n o p e n a n d i n c l u s i v e d e s i g n p r o j e c t : a n e w w a y o f r e t h i n k i n g s p a c e , f u n c t i o n a n d d e s i g n i n t h e n a m e o f h o s p i t a l i t y

Underscoring the elegance of Julie Richoz’s intervention is the detail of the bed-tatami, framed by the colours that punctuate the ceiling. The Swiss French designer, like the entire pool, has also worked in close connection with the local community: the concept of the 4Rooms project replicates the one tested in Grasse, 5Rooms, becoming a bridge between talent and community. talent generate beauty. For themselves and for others”. So, like a hive, this place is open to those looking for the opportunity to take time to nurture thinking and share experiences: “I don’t want anything in return, I’m living the dream of promoting ideas through the places I love and that speak to me”. What has remained of the original structure is the intensity of the door and window frames: Annalisa Rosso, together with designer Michael Anastassiades, director of ECAL Alexis Georgacopoulos and curator and set designer Cristiano Raimondi, has selected several young international designers who have been tasked with redesigning the interiors. Each designer had the brief of interpreting the rooms in line with their own personal design code: in the case of Cypriot artist Phanos Kyriacou, abstract; measured for Swiss-French designer Julie Richoz, chromatic for Icelanders Brynjar & Veronika and surreal for the Germans from the UND.studio. Superpoly developed the project for the communal space (playful and aggregating). “We asked each of them to experiment with objects and materials, providing a re-reading of the existing ones. To absorb their different creative languages into the unique reality of the island, we also asked them to involve local trades and businesses”, Rosso concludes. “The outcome is radical work showing great courage”. —