Blake and his era: exhibit design for the Palace of Venaria
A
set design to
interpret the mystical and visionary language of William Blake, with
curved materials,
suspended structures and
immersive atmospheres.
Translating symbolic imagery into physical space
Curves, lights and details for an exhibition route with a strong evocative impact
For
Saglietti Group,
exhibit design is a
concrete and technical discipline: interpreting the
vision of
architects and curators to transform it into
coherent,
functional and
scenic structures.
The exhibition.
"Blake and His Age. Travels in Dream Time", staged in the
Halls of the
Arts at the
Reggia di Venaria, was an opportunity for us to
explore a powerful and layered imagery where
poetry,
art and
spirituality intertwine.
Designed by Officina82 with
scientific advice from Alice Insley(Tate UK), the installation required
extensive work on all rooms, with focus on
three main rooms: the
entrance hall, the
tunnel between Room B and Room L, and
Room C designated for screenings.
In all rooms, the
color choices of the walls were
coordinated with the curators to
strengthen the visual identity of the exhibition. The selected shades dialogue with the works, evoking
contrasts between light and shadow,
matter and vision.
For each
thematic section, we installed
shaped narrative panels made of 19 mm MDF (chapters) and
8 mm MDF (titles and texts),
lacquered white and
laser-cut for
crisp and
smooth reading.
A path between dream and matter: design solutions
The '
entrance houses
two suspended curved MDF elements covered with
fire retardant HP wallpaper, inspired by the
fluid forms in the painting
Oberon, Titania and Puck with the Dancing Fairies (1786). The curves are made of
poplar plywood and
multiflex,
light and flexible materials, suspended by means of
steel cables and
concealed structures, without ceiling or floor fixings, in compliance with the constraints of the Reggia.
The
vertical silhouettes, inspired by the
visionary characters of William Blake and Henry Fuseli, are
freestanding, mounted on
wooden bases designed for
stability and
lightness. The titling of the exhibition,
"Blake and His Age", is composed of
3-D letters hand-covered in white faux leather, a handcrafted detail that enriches the entrance.
In the
tunnel between Hall B and Hall L,
fifteen fabric curtains in the shape of a Gothic arch create an immersive passage.
Prints with petroleum blue gradients amplify the
depth effect and introduce the
backlit reproduction of The Inscription Above the Door, made of
fireproof sheets with
LED backlighting.
The
Hall of Hell, set up in
full red, intensifies the
drama of the most powerful works.
In
Hall C, dedicated to
projections,
suspended veils and
wooden beams frame the work
Pitt's Spiritual Form guides the Beemoth (c. 1805), building a
multi-level immersive environment, emphasized by
three-dimensional effects and light effects.
The
exit echoes the structure of the entrance through
curved shaped panels and the figure of
Hecate (Enitharmon), which symbolically closes the exhibition journey.
Flanking the architectural vision, shaping the layout
Each element of the
exhibit is the result of a
precise architectural design. Our task is to
make it possible: to translate the design into a
concrete structure that is
sustainable and
true to the original vision.
Curves, fire retardant materials, suspension systems, graphic and structural elements-each component was
engineered to ensure
execution quality,
stability, and
narrative coherence.
The collaboration with the
Officina82 studio-in the figures of
Lara Sappa and
Fabio Revetria-confirms a valuable
design synergy.
Special thanks to
Silvia Marassi for her design support and to
Federico Verdi,
technical manager of the installation, for his expertise and attention.
Contact us for an exhibit design project
From
design to
implementation,
Saglietti Group is an
operating partner for architectural firms,
curators and
cultural institutions.
We bring
technical expertise,
craftsmanship and
ingenious solutions to enhance every exhibition space.
Contact us to turn a design idea into a concrete setup.
