The Italian Design Agency (IDA), which in its time organized 15 international exhibitions of modern furniture, two years ago began a classic project. The main theme of the project was the classic, or rather, the question whether there is a design in the classics and how exactly this classic design looks. The Milan Polytechnic Institute - alma mater of all the stars of Italian design - was identified to clarify, to identify nominees, and an authoritative jury consisting of curators of museums, art historians, designers and architects - to select winners. After the final decision was made, the classic furniture selected by the high jury was loaded into containers and sent on a world tour. In Moscow, was the first stop.

Classic Italian design was shown on November 15 - 19 in the gallery RuArts, that in Zachatievsky lane. Its opening was timed to the exhibition "Furniture". The gallery was chosen the right one - with white walls and a huge concrete staircase in the middle. The design of the exhibition came up with Paola Navone. As a result, some of the furniture was just like that against the walls and stairs under the paintings of modern artists collected by RuArts. A piece was "packed" in white robes in the manner of mosquito nets. Everything looked conceptually so that if before someone had doubts that classical furniture is good and relevant not only for museum interiors, now they should have been completely dispersed. Good And it is against the background of white walls and concrete stairs.

About 40 items arrived in Moscow. Andrea Oliva explains this by strict selection criteria: “These things fell into the Italian Design Classic Selection not only and not so much because of beauty. First of all, they took into account the lack of banality, how much they are entitled to represent classic Italian design, their originality, functionality, finally , the presence of modern energy in them. Perhaps it was for us the most important ". From Moscow, the exhibition will go to Paris. From there further down the world. Only seven stops.

But the fact that we are the first, can not but surprise. Andrea Oliva, curator of the exhibition, explained that in Moscow it was the mix of the old and the new, against which the Italian classics look very organic. "I think this is the right place to start this kind of project. Besides, you Russians, of course, admire modern furniture, but you prefer to see classics in your houses."

Everything that was shown in RuArts really looked familiar: the furniture from CARPANELLI, PROVASI, ANNIBALE COLOMBO, BIZZOTTO etc. (11 furniture was presented at the exhibition) we chose long before the authoritative jury.

Andrea Oliva: The word "design" in relation to classical furniture began to be used relatively recently. The birth of design refers to the post-war time. Then everyone wanted to prove himself, to be original, but at the same time produce something cheap and democratic. As a result, two years ago our the agency appealed to professors and students of the Milan Polytechnic Institute with a proposal to select classic items, but at the same time they were design, they were skeptical about our idea. Design in the classics? This does not happen! But the last Many years have changed a lot. Not that we were able to convince everyone that the concepts of "design" and "classic" are compatible, but there are shifts. I think this exhibition will draw attention to classical Italian design and give it new energy. I don’t know will be further, but there is a beginning. "