ABOVE, A MAQUETTE OF HOW
THE DRIADE INSTALLATION
WOULD LOOK ON THE MOON
OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT, ‘COSTES’ AND ‘TOY’
CHAIRS BY PHILIPPE STARCK,
‘KOISHI’ TABLE BY NAOTO
FUKASAWA, AND ‘CUGINETTO’
TABLE BY ENZO MARIto David Chipperield (who served as the company’s
artistic director from 2014-16).
For its half-century milestone, Driade passed on
traditional anniversary celebrations and gave itself a
challenge of sorts: to imagine the outdoor furniture of
the future, perfect for taking in the lunar landscape.
The Driade Moon Mission was irst unveiled during
this year’s Salone del Mobile as part of an immersive
installation, and it has continued throughout the
anniversary year with further events and initiatives.
The project’s mastermind is the Turin-based designer
and artist Piergiorgio Robino, founder of
multidisciplinary creative collective Nucleo.
Robino’s starting point for the project was to
look at the origin of the company, in particular how
society was changing at the time it was founded.
‘In Italy and the world, 1968 was a visionary time, a
creative moment,’ he says. ‘I wanted to take Driade
back to that time, to celebrate its visionary approach.’
Robino devised a narrative that involved not just a trip
in time, but also into space: a collection of outdoorfurniture imagined for use on the moon in 50 years,
‘projecting the company into the next half century’. As
2019 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the moon
landing, Robino opted to anticipate that celebration
while paying tribute to four Driade icons: two chairs
by Philippe Starck, a table by Enzo Mari and a table by
Naoto Fukasawa. Each piece was recreated in a new,
larger size, and 3D printed using a material that
replicates regolith, a dust found on the moon’s surface.
‘It’s an artistic project. These are unique pieces,
and can’t be used on Earth,’ adds Robino, explaining
that the material can’t withstand rain as it would
decompose (not a major disadvantage on the moon).
The original designs are outlined in a matte black
material, porous and coral-like. The coral connection,
Robino explains, nods to the ‘seas’ populating the
Moon’s surface: ‘we are bringing back life on the
Moon.’ The project is accompanied by a feature ilm,
entitled Moonage Daydream, directed by Adriano
Valerio and written by Gianluigi Ricuperati.
This elaborate construction is a perfect it for the
spirit of Driade, and that irreverent attitude that has
carried the company for half a century. But it is also
a quintessential Nucleo provocation. Since its
inception in 1997, the creative collective, headed by
Robino, has touched upon themes such as industrial
production, individuality, memory and history.
Previous projects, either self-initiated or supported
by international galleries, have explored the likes
of antique sculpture, primitive design and fossils,
all translated by Robino and his team into sleek,
contemporary pieces. Collaborating with Driade
is a irst for the studio, an exception to the rule, he
says. ‘To develop a research-based concept with
a company: this is a project Nucleo can do, and
Driade was open to do something out of the ordinary.’
Di Nuccio echoes this enthusiasm for the
collaboration. ‘Robino and his team perfectly
understood Driade’s philosophy and joie de vivre,’
he says, ‘how we make domestic living into an open
artwork, with the conviction that eclecticism,
multiculturalism, curiosity and surprise represent
the true spirit of our time.’ ∂ driade.com; nucleo.to‘These pieces can’t be used
on Earth. We are bringing
back life on the Moon’
080 ∑