Doppia Firma 2019

• Showcasing artisanal expertise and creative design
• A new format for this fourth edition of the event
• 19 successful creative collaborations
• A borderless search for distinctive local character
• Iconic objects created by Patricia Urquiola, Sam Baron, Vito Nesta and other internationally renowned designers
• Exemplary craftsmanship by Nymphenburg, Bottega Ghianda, Risogama and more

Milan, February 2019 – For the 2019 Salone del Mobile, the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is proud to present the fourth annual Doppia Firma: A Dialogue Between Design and Artisanal Excellence, in collaboration with the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte and Living – the Corriere della Sera magazine for interiors, design and lifestyle.

Doppia Firma 2019 brings together innovative designers and master artisans from around Europe to produce a unique collection of 19 works and small-scale series. Each object is the result of a creative exchange between a designer/artist and an artisan/ manufacturer – where project culture and expertise are cross-fertilised in an authentic expression of regional excellence.

This year’s event focuses on the international dialogue between creativity and fine craftsmanship. Several of the works were commissioned specifically for Doppia Firma, while others were sourced by the project’s partners, who searched Europe for creations that embody the spirit of Doppia Firma. In just three years, Doppia Firma has emerged as a methodology and a mark of excellence. Now in its fourth incarnation, this event shines a spotlight on those who boldly choose to pursue a less prominent form of art or who espouse an artisan-friendly project culture, producing unique pieces and small series never before displayed in Milan. The Doppia Firma designers went beyond the borders of their country in search of extraordinary artisans – from Belgium to Czech Republic to Germany, from the United Kingdom to Sweden to Portugal, from France to Austria to Italy, and from Switzerland to the Netherlands to Japan (the only non- European country in the selection). In some cases, designers and artisans from the same country connected – or reconnected – with each other in pursuit of creative innovation. Each of the works speaks to the inclusive and borderless language of talent and craftsmanship.

The selection was also made possible thanks to the Michelangelo Foundation’s network of European partners dedicated to fostering creativity and craftsmanship. The partners participating in the preliminary selection for Doppia Firma were Ateliers d’Art de France (France), Meisterstrasse (Austria), De Mains de Maîtres (Luxembourg), Fundaçao Ricardo do Espirito Santo Silva (Portugal) and curator Pavla Rossini (Czech Republic).

This project offered craftsmen and women the chance to explore new realms of expression while giving designers an opportunity to be inspired by new techniques, materials, and practices. For this 2019 edition, designers and artisans worked with a wide variety of techniques and materials including glass, ceramic, paper, porcelain, marble, wood, silver and brass to make original interpretations of functional or decorative objects.

The creations – true narrative icons – will be exhibited at the Villa Mozart, a picturesque gem from the 1930s in the heart of Milan. The event takes place in the magnificent suite of rooms on the ground floor.

The exhibit presents the designers and artisans alongside each object, together with photos and video footage of the different stages of the creative process. The goal is to bring their authorship to the forefront and reaffirm the “double signature” theme of the project (as the name Doppia Firma translates), which highlights both sides of the artistic equation.


The 19 extraordinary designer-artisan collaborations selected by the project partners for Doppia Firma 2019 are:
1. atelier oï, Switzerland, with Masayuki Kajiwara, Japan;
2. Tomás Alonso, Spain, with Wiener Silbermanufaktur, Austria;
3. Emmanuel Babled, France, and the cabinet-making workshop of the Fundação Ricardo do Espirito Santo Silva, Portugal;
4. Sam Baron, France, and porcelain manufacturer Vista Alegre, Portugal;
5. Boris Berlin with Mikkel Karlshøj and the students from NEXT Praktikcenter, Denmark;
6. Peter Bremers, Netherlands, and Zdenek Lhotský, Czech Republic;
7. Mathilde Bretillot and Antoine Leperlier, France;
8. Maarten de Ceulaer with Atelier Mestdagh, Belgium;
9. Laura Fiaschi and Gabriele Pardi (Gum Design), Italy, with porcelain manufacturer Risogama, Japan;
10. Roxanne Flick, Luxembourg and Michael Nätscher, Germany;
11. Christian Haas, Germany, and José Vieira, Portugal;
12. Masquespacio, Spain, and manufacturer Poggi Ugo (project curated by Valentina Guidi Ottobri), Italy;
13. Vito Nesta and the wallpaper design lab of San Patrignano, Italy;
14. Marcello Panza and the artisan Pasquale De Palma from Capodimonte(a project by Bottega Made in Cloister), Italy;, Italy;
15. Nick Ross, Sweden, and the artisans of Dunedin Stone, Scotland;
16. Lachaert and Dhanis with Piet Stockmans, Belgium;
17. Karsten K. Krebs, Germany, and Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg, Germany;
18. Patricia Urquiola, Spain, and Bottega Ghianda, Italy;
19. Victoria Wilmotte, France, and Giorgio Angeli, Italy.

These designers and artisans, contributing their respective ideas and expertise, worked towards a common goal in an expression of harmony, all in the name of excellence.