Art & Culture
During 2024 Milan Design Week, SERVOMUTO Opened Its Doors toUnveil Its Latest Projects

The installation was titled “In fondo al cortile a sinistra” (In the Courtyard on the Far Left) in collaboration with the Gaia Home Project

SERVOMUTO, a lighting design studio that also operates as a haute couture atelier, constantly experiments with new ways to reimagine classic objects such as lampshades, imbuing them with contemporary sophistication and irreverence.

(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)

This exhibition featured a kaleidoscopic space where everything was available for purchase, highlighting new products like the Giardino Floor and Otto Table lamps. Other recent projects, such as the Venus suspensions by Serena Confalonieri, the wall models Portofino and Bikini, and the elegant Haute Couture floor lamp, were on display. The Materia lamp, which combines new materials, was also presented at the exhibition.

SERVOMUTO's Alessandro Poli and Gaia Home Project's Gaia Venuti (Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)
(Photography: Serena Eller Vainicher)

The Giardino Floor lamp, a new addition to the Giardino collection, celebrates the eclectic style of the 1950s with references to the exoticism of the Far East and the afternoons of the Milanese bourgeoisie spent on the verandas of fashionable restaurants. This is available in three distinct color variations: ivory/pink, white/black, and green/black, as well as a variant with a foliage pattern in Misia jacquard fabrics. It stands out for its rattan and fabric lampshade, embellished with a delicate contrasting trim. The lamp is supported by an elegant oak structure and a solid concrete base, drawing inspiration from outdoor umbrellas. It offers volumes and shapes that evoke a pleasant and peaceful outdoor atmosphere. This lamp helps to integrate the open with domestic interiors harmoniously.

Another notable addition to the SERVOMUTO collection is the Otto Table lamp, which expands the Otto collection (introduced at Euroluce 2023) with a table version in generous proportions. Otto recalls the 1960s and 1970s sci-fi imagery and refers to the archetype of the flying saucer with its shapes. The lamp comprises a conical base of solid mahogany and a lampshade that combines a fabric upper part and a pleated lower part. The lamp is available in Rubelli fabrics – also used in the suspension – and four new Dedar fabrics in electric blue, lime yellow, pink, and salt and pepper. Otto Table embodies the philosophy of SERVOMUTO, which balances sartorial rigor and refined aesthetics with an ironic and cheeky character.

(Photography: Matteo D'Angelo)
(Photography: Matteo D'Angelo)

The exhibition space was creatively tailored in collaboration with Gaia Venuti, founder of the Gaia Home Project, who has transformed the SERVOMUTO studio into a welcoming and constantly evolving home. Creative force Alessandro Poli, the ingenious mind behind SERVOMUTO, entrusted Venuti with the signature of the setup, which will feature a blend of design icons and modern pieces. The SERVOMUTO lamps seamlessly blend with different furnishings and accessories, from design classics like the Ginevra chair by Achille Castiglioni and the Art Deco screen by Jomaine Baumann to modern pieces like the Pixi armchair by Gillis Lundgren for Ikea and ultra-contemporary tables and sofas by Nube. To complete the setup, lysergic ceramics by Fausto Salvi and the floral compositions by Mario Nobile - OFFFI add a touch of contemporaneity and vitality to the entire setting.

The space’s eclectic assemblage not only aims to tell different stories but invites its guests to write new ones: all the objects on display, from lamps to the tiniest trinkets, are available for purchase. This defines a changing and continuously transforming installation where the visitor actively contributes to creating a space with blurred contours and infinite possibilities.Aside from the exhibition at the SERVOMUTO studio, visitors can also find the Flag lamps at the Artemest Apartment (2, Via Enrico Tosi) and the Haute Couture lamps at Carla Saibene’s atelier (20, Via San Maurilio). At the Salone del Mobile Milano, the Nube company also completed its display with the Otto Table, Otto (suspension), Flag, Venus, and Portofino lamps.SERVOMUTO’s latest releases are a testament to the brand’s commitment to reimagining classic objects with fresh and contemporary perspectives.

Words: Emily Leung & Nikey Cheng
Published on April 25, 2024