Press Centre
April 2009
Swarovski Crystal Palace 'Osmosis' by Arik Levy at Salone del Mobile, Milan 2009
Swarovski Crystal Place reveals a pioneering exhibition of new work by Arik Levy during the Salone Internazionale Del Mobile, 22nd – 27th April 2009
The celebrated Swarovski Crystal Palace was transformed this week into a galaxy of crystal forms, masterminded by its creative collaborator Arik Levy. The installation, Osmosis, was conceived to inspire visitors with a new sense of wonder and appreciation in the beauty and technology inherent in Swarovski crystal.
The dramatic installation and concept was unveiled at the Swarovski Crystal Palace exhibition at Ex Magazzini Di Porta Genova, via Valenza 2. Levy used his multidisciplinary approach to reassess Swarovski crystal itself bysteering Crystal Palace towards a series of installations based on the chaton, the most emblematic of crystal cuts that often bears the label ‘diamond’ cut. In doing so, he moves the spotlight from the crystals themselves to the highly skilled and technical precision cutting that makes their existence possible.
Levy explains: “Swarovski is above all about technology. The crystal is the sparkling and poetic result of the company’s heritage, innovation and skill. If you ask them what they do, Swarovski will say they are master stonecutters. It is that mastery which sets them apart from other crystal companies. My aim was to project a new vision, a new DNA, a new dimension on to Crystal Palace and take it somewhere it has never been before”.
Crystal Palace was transformed into a parallel universe of crystal, with the chaton form dominating everything from the specially woven 80ft long Tai Ping carpet to the giant wire-frame structures that create an effect of unexpected scale. In contrast to the latter’s transparency, there are also huge marble chatons, the feel of which add to the sensory experience. Contrasts are at the heart of Osmosis: the play between solid and transparent, light and dark, hot and cold, big and small, rough and smooth. It is an effective toolbox, which highlights each state by setting it against its opposite. For Nadja Swarovski, Levy’s vision was truly inspired: “Arik has moved Swarovski to an arena of using crystal as a sculptural ingredient. He understands that crystal is more than something which sparkles; it is a valuable material which is relevant
to the fields of lighting, of furniture and of art. It was time for a change at Crystal Palace and Osmosis is an interpretation of Swarovski at its best: the cutting of stone”.
The Swarovski Crystal Palace launch event was attended by over 500 guests including international designers and architects.
Nadja Swarovski and Arik Levy took part in the Swarovski Blueprint Debate, which was chaired by Vicky Richardson, editor of Blueprint. More than 120 people joined the debate with a high profile panel of critics, designers and architects, including Deyan Sudjic, Amanda Levete, Alfredo Haberli and Mario Cucinella. Entitled ‘Can Imagination Save the City?’ the ground-breaking discussion raised important questions about the future development of cities, particularly at a time of economic crisis. Deyan Sudjic suggested that the important thing that artists and writers do is to observe the city and their work, unlike that of designers, highlighting the fact that sometimes the mess and dark side of cities is their most interesting aspect. The panel observed that the empty spaces of the city often provide opportunities for creativity to flourish, and sometimes the worst designed places are the most lively. But, asked architect Amanda Levete, ‘how do you design mess?’ Designers also spoke freely about the one thing that would improve the city for them: Arik Levy would have more benches in Paris; Mario Cucinella made a plea for greater freedom; and in a reference to the recent planning row over Chelsea Barracks in London, Deyan Sudjic suggested that Prince Charles should take a 10-year trip around the world.
