On display, at the Riviera creative hub in Milan, the ceramic artifacts born from a call launched by a Colombian designer and an Italian architect during the quarantine. An international collective project, born in Colombia to bring people closer, involving local workers

“Every time you enter the square, you find yourself in the middle of a dialogue,” wrote Italo Calvino in his novel Invisible Cities. And thinking of Piazza Gorani, one can only agree. Lapalma has chosen to live here, in the 5vie district, opening up to dialogue with the creative community, architects and the city of Milan.

In this square at the very heart of the most authentic Milan, amidst 19th-century buildings, a medieval tower, Roman remains and new contemporary residences, Riviera is situated, creative hub open and connected to the city thanks to the proposal of various appointments and activities, as well as first location in Milan, opened in June 2019. At the same location, next to Riviera, Lapalma for Architects, a new space dedicated to architects and interior designers who want to customise their projects with Lapalma furniture, opened in April 2021.

Look here Riviera, Lapalma's hub in Milan

On the occasion of its second birthday, from June 30th Riviera hosts the exhibition Alone Together which tells the homonymous special project, born in Colombia during the quarantine.

During last year's lockdown, Milan-based Colombian designer Natalia Criado and architect Pietro Minelli found themselves in Raquira, near Bogotà, a land that was once home to the Muisca natives, an indigenous group that produced pottery, a practice and trade that has evolved over time, making this place the ceramics capital of Colombia.

Being forced into isolation in a place of great cultural wealth inspired Natalia and Pietro to invest in a non-profit project intended to re-evaluate the concept of art and sculpture as a means of bringing people together, even when physically distant, stimulating introspection and therefore the birth of an intimate and at the same time shared creativity. In the center, the red earth.

An international call for designers and artists was launched aimed at creating a collective production, which ultimately involved local craftsmen in implementing 100 projects by designers from all over the world.

This is how Alone together Raquira was born, a choral project that saw international creative protagonists with different backgrounds. Some have sent sketches, some silhouettes of ceramic vases, some to render and some a simple voice message to tell their idea and give shape to the solitude, the monotony, the uncertainty of a complicated historical moment. And he did it to take part in a project that is based on the most primordial of materials, the earth.

Today, some of the pieces created by this call - aggregative - are the protagonists of an exhibition in the Via Gorani space, organized by the two Founders of the collective Alone Together with Caterina Licitra Ponti, product manager of the project.

Piazza Gorani opens up to the city also thanks to a series of events and installations specifically designed by Lapalma, where the brand's outdoor collections (tables, chairs, seating systems and accessories) occupy the space and welcome the public with their usual sober elegance.

Lapalma is therefore present in three different spaces, rediscovering the square in the most authentic sense as a place for meetings, interaction, creativity and, last but not least, the human touch. The company is convinced that design needs to be, now more than ever, based on research and the fusion of various fields.

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