Compendio Gallery comes to Tuscany

Rome-based Compendio Gallery comes to the northern Tuscan seaside town of Forte dei Marmi to debut its latest exhibition, Artists Rooms: Italian Design 1930-1960.  For the new show, Compendio has created a series of rooms at Villa Bertelli, each dedicated to a  noted Italian architect or designer at a specific moment in his career—and each room is composed of relevant furniture, lighting, and even artwork sourced from a variety of important private collections.

The clever presentation includes a hotel room dedicated to Gio Ponti works from 1964; another Ponti room from the mid-1940s; an Ico Parisi-themed dining room from 1952; a living room by Osvaldo Borsani (also featuring works by Lucio Fontana) from 1953; a waiting room by Paolo Buffa from the mid-1940s; and a master bedroom by Maurizio Tempestini from 1939.

Describing the motivation behind the show and its location, Compendio curator and cofounder Lorenzo Ciompi tells us: "Before today, no one had ever arranged an event dedicated to the Italian design that is such an integral part of Forte Dei Marmi's mansions and the Tuscan coast nearby. It is a very exclusive place, where during the '30s, '40s and '50s the most exclusive villas were designed by the most important architects and designers, such as  Ponti, Mollino, Parisi, Busiri Vici, Ulrich, Tempestini, Buffa. In addition, this year, Forte Dei Marmi celebrates the centenary of its foundation in 1914."

N. 866 Gio Ponti armchairs, made for Hotel Parco dei Principi in Roma and produced by Cassina
Illuminated hanging cabinet bar by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte, circa 1940

Rare dining table designed by Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia for Domus Nova in 1930