The project
Made in Cloister has involved artists and designers for the design of a line of objects and furnishings, created in collaboration with master craftsmen and designed to set up the exhibition spaces of the cloister, for a targeted and personalized distribution.
The Made in Cloister workshop aims to create new market opportunities for artisanal products that risk disappearing.
Made in Cloister wants to enhance the talent and the ancient craft techniques through the creativity of artists and designers to tell the story and the "world".
Mapping the craftman
In 2013 the Foundation started a project of mapping the local artisans, to have a complete vision of the local artcraft landscape and to create collaborations between artisans and artists. The city of Naples has the largest historical center in Europe, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. Through 27 centuries of history it has preserved an extraordinary stratification that - starting from the ancient Greek road route - is expressed in an impressive artistic, monumental and cultural heritage. The Historic Center of Naples, a vast area populated by an authentic humanity and repository of ancient popular traditions, is also the place where the oldest forms of processing have developed, giving rise over the centuries to extraordinary craft traditions that have been handed down for generations and that today, however, they risk disappearing. The artisan workshops preserve a wealth of skills and values that represents the roots of the strength of that Made in Italy that today more than ever must be recovered, safeguarded and passed on to younger generations.
Alzata Napoletana
The Alzata Napoletana is a design object produced by the Foundation for the project Bottega Made in Cloister that combines vision of international artists and designers with ancient techniques from the napoletan craft traditions. The Alzata Napoletana designed by Marcello Panza is more than a porcelain plait. Is a polarizer of attention in the center of the table, that has the task to celebrate food.
Alzata Napoletana by Marcello Panza (2019) by Antonio NisiniFondazione Made in Cloister
Its main structure is made by ancient symbols. Panza wanted a clear narration of this Baroque container of desires, starting from the plait that is together symbol of peace and celebration, waiting to be filled and offered to guests.
Alzata Napoletana by Marcello Panza (1029) by Antonio NisiniFondazione Made in Cloister
The architecture of its shaft is built with different handles, obtained from ancient handle mold, found and researched in little markets. The harmony is in the choas of the muddle.
Alzata Napoletana by Marcello Panza (2019) by Antonio NisiniFondazione Made in Cloister
There are some elegant handle, highlited by the gold brush stroke (the color of wealth and sacred), while some others are more rough. Each of them bring with itself a memory of an unknown past. Neglected objects, that came from a past time. Panza took them from the oblivion. Ennobled and enriched, they speak the language of art.
Poetry in the Streets of Naples
Poetry in the Streets of Naples is a project born from the collaboration between Harry Pearce, graphic designer and partner of the Pentagram studio in London, and the Atigian printing house Vittorio Avella of Naples.
Poetry in the Streets of Naples (2017) by Harry PierceFondazione Made in Cloister
Harry, with his team, took care of the creation of the visual identity of Made in Cloister and, during the various inspections made in the streets of Naples in search of details and elements useful for the creation of the visual identity, he realized a series of street shoots.
Poetry in the Streets of Naples (2017) by Harry PierceFondazione Made in Cloister
From a selection of these shots comes the collection Poetry in the Streets of Naples: 10 prints made with the technique of aquatint etchings edited in limited series.
Poetry in the Streets of Naples (2017) by Harry PierceFondazione Made in Cloister
The works were printed with a star-shaped press from the Vittorio Avella artisan printing shop.
Sawhorse
The New York designer Chris Rucker, of Rucker Coorporation, has designed a line of furniture for Made in Cloister. The project was curated by Giuseppe Lignano of LOT-EK (NY).During his Neapolitan stay, Chris, who was able to observe closely the different techniques of craftsmanship in many shops, was inspired by one of the most recurrent forms of which he found the presence in all the places visited: the easel.
Sawhorse Serie (2016) by Viviana FalaceFondazione Made in Cloister
The easel, which is used in the workshops to support the worktops, symbolically becomes the backbone of the artisan work, thanks to which creation becomes possible.
Sawhorse Serie (2016) by Viviana FalaceFondazione Made in Cloister
In the design of the tables, chairs and stools the shape of the easel is repeated, decomposed, scaled, to give life to beautiful modules.
Photo credit: Viviana Falace
Harry Pierce
Antonio Nisini
