“Conviviando”: ten scenes to tell the story of the “mise en place”

On the occasion of Homi, the Lifestyle trade fair of Fiera Milano, inaugurates the exhibition Conviviando, historical outline dedicated to the art of the table. It draws inspiration from several cinematographic representations

In Milan, within the apartments of the Prince located in Palazzo Reale, from January 25 to February 15, 2018 the exhibition “Conviviando – the art of the table between past and future”, promoted and sponsored by the Municipality of Milan, Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace of Milan) and HOMI – the Lifestyle trade fair of Fiera Milano, curated by Cinzia Felicetti.
The main theme of the exhibition is the interpretation of the mise en place and the Art of Hospitality through the most fascinating objects and tableware intended to set and embellish the table created in various historical periods. Countless and precious objects get on display assembling the fashions and styles that still dominate the most elegant tables with their unique shapes. It all starts from the Baroque period, when the table is configured as a “theater”, a space where the sovereign celebrates his greatness through the triumph of precious metals and plants.

In the Rococo era the arrangement of objects becomes a declaration of aesthetic sensibility; the pastel shades and the finely worked porcelain are predominant. But the real revolution took place at the beginning of the nineteenth century, with the discarding of the service à la française – with a “flamboyant” array of dishes on the table – in favor of the nonchalance of service à la russe, which entrusted the waiters with the task of serving the food. After the nineteenth century that combines the formula “less pomp, more etiquette”, and after the Victorian love for colors, the twentieth century enlivens the table in the forms Art Deco while in the Sixties eclecticism the table reaches its maximum expression in contemporary customization.

Porcelain, crystal, silver and fabrics and decorations that interpret ten settings and ten different mise en place, and reflect the culture of the various centuries, are inspired by several films, Italian and international, characterized by particularly interesting convivial moments from the point of view of history, culture and society. Each concept is inspired by a cult film and features a table set with iconic objects reinterpreted and produced by a selected range of companies.

Such as Angelo Cappellini, who takes part in the splendid exhibition dedicated to the film by Coppola “Marie Antoinette” – where the splendor of the eighteenth century in France and the charming grandeur of Versailles, or as Smania, which contributes with its prestigious pieces of furniture and its five vases to the preparation of the room dedicated to the film “A single man”, set in the “60s” in perfect balance between elegance and tradition. A setting where the Cantori dining setting is the main protagonist. Bourgeois atmospheres come to life in the ‘modern’ room inspired by the film “I Am Love” by Luca Guadagnino, fully interpreted by Visionnaire elegant furnishings designed by Alessandro La Spada; while delicate ‘total white’ suggestions emerge from the reinterpretation of “Death in Venice” (1971) (film by Luchino Visconti) thanks to the furnishing participation of Gebrüder Thonet ViennaGianfranco Ferrè Home stages the intoxicating charm of the 20s of “The Great Gatsby”.

Among the protagonists of the exhibition some major brands of the sector including: ZanaboniRobertoGiovanniniAminiBontempi CasaRobertaebastaIllulian and Sitap for rugs; in addition to a rich array of contributors for accessories, including AlessiBorsalinoChristofleRichard Ginori.

“Conviviando, the art of the table from past to future”
Exhibition curated by Cinzia Felicetti, editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Maison
Promoted and produced by the Municipality of Milan, Palazzo Reale, HOMl, the Lifestyle Trade Fair in Milan
Photo by Mirko Cecchi

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Ex Machina Room
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Io sono l’Amore Room
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Io sono l’Amore Room
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A single man Room
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A single man Room
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A single man Room
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Il Grande Gatsby Room
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Il Gattopardo Room
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Emma Room
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Marie Antoinete Room
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Vatel Room
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Coco&Igor Room