The world of art and the world of design are intrinsically intermixed to the point where it can often be difficult to tell the difference. To sum it up neatly, art is an aesthetic quality that reaches beyond function and into the realm of human expression, whereas design is a endeavor to create something with purpose that functions in our lives and fullfills a need. We as people tend to enjoy making the functional elements of our lives beautiful, acting as both artist and designer in one, and lines begin to blur.
Design and art are both spaces of collaboration, whether that be an inner collaboration between your own role as artist and designer or between individuals contributing their personal unique balance and understanding of the two. In a collaboration such as Bottega Veneta's recent work with Gaetano Pesce, we see clearly how the art world and the design world blend to create inspired, beautiful, functional work.
This collaboration featured two new bags in iconic Kelly green alongside an art experience at the launch store in Milan. Pesce designed a complete takeover of the store, substituting the usual muted hues with bright green and vibrant abstract patterns. The store invited guests in with "Vieni a Vedere", Italien for come and see. Inside, guests moved through a transformed space, a sculptural tunnel that ran through the entire store crafted from resin-soaked fabric. At the end of the tunnel, a pair of bags, each a unique textural interpretation of a rising-sun landscape. The installation not only imparts an aesthetic experience but provides a doorway into the collaboration for guests, leading to a true consolidation of art and design found in the handbags perched as the centerpiece of aesthetics and function.
Watch this short film by Vogue to get an intimate look at Gaetano's career, design process and insight on the intersections between art and design.