Uncommon content and an uncommon container. An inevitable mixture to give form and visibility to an excellent event aimed at collectors, interior designers, architects and lovers of art and design. All by invitation only. The 2020 edition of Nomad, the event created by Giorgio Pace – a consultant to luxury brands – and the gallerist Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, takes place in the Swiss 16th-century house-museum Chesa Planta at St. Moritz. From 6 to 9 February, in this aristocratic setting, the exhibition presents a careful selection of rare pieces, limited editions and one-offs that open up a dialogue between design, art and architecture, representing various cultural identities of the world.
The exhibition alternates the offerings of art galleries – including Luisa Delle Piane and Massimo De Carlo – with special projects. Like the immersive installation ‘Le Salon’ by The Invisible Collection, a digital platform of contemporary bespoke design, unveiling the asymmetry of the seats by Pierre Yovanovitch alongside those of Thierry Lemaire, the theatrical flair of Ron Arad in the piece created for Oka, together with Minotaure, a creation by the style trendsetters Pierre Augustin Rose, and the exclusive carpet created by the Saudi Arabian architect Shahad Alazzaz produced by Artind.
There are also names that have made design history. Starting with Gio Ponti, brought by Fornasetti in pieces that reflect the collaboration between the great master and the company, in a declaration of love for the art of engraved decoration: the Libri trumeau, part credenza, part bar and desk, the first of a limited reissue in five pieces of the prototype created in 1950; the obelisk and desk Litomatrici, two unique pieces, entirely clad in sheets of lithographic zinc, originals from the 1950s.
Research on materials is a strong point of the event: the English designer Terence Woodgate of Established&Sons has created an ultraslim table in collaboration with the Formula 1 engineer John Barnard, which seems to defy the laws of physics with a handmade top composed of millions of threads of carbon. A must-have for the most demanding investors. Several site-specific installations bring new highlights to Nomad. The studio Draga & Aurel presents Dialoghi Mimetici, a set composed of seats made with salvaged materials and covered with second-hand leather, tables with resin tops and concrete bases, featuring details obtained by salt corrosion, and pours that resemble snow. The thermoformed wall lamps are arranged in a large luminous installation. Alongside the main event, Nomad offers a collateral program of talks by designers and artists, tours of local landmarks and visits to private residences or collections.
