Gagosian presents three new editions of furniture from the iconic in London Casa Malaparte in Capri, Italy.
In 1937, the visionary Italian writer and luminary Curzio Malaparte, born Kurt Erich Suckert in 1898, bought a plot of land overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. There, he supervised the construction of Malaparte house, his residence and architectural conception, which he affectionately referred to as “house like me”, a “house like me”. Designed in its entirety, from the floor plan to the furniture, by Malaparte himself, the house blends classical and modernist influences, uniting them under one roof with inimitable poetic drama.
From the curved white windbreak that extends across its roof to its deliberately secluded location atop an overhanging cliff, Casa Malaparte embodies its owner's renegade streak. Famous for the repeated and unpredictable transition between religious and political ideological extremes, Malaparte claimed an artistic work that is unmatched in its formal and conceptual breadth. Despite its passing in 1957, the house lives on as an unparalleled architectural masterpiece and a platform of inspiration for today's artists and designers.
For this special exhibition, Tommaso Rositani Suckert, the youngest descendant of Malaparte, has created editions of three of the most iconic pieces of furniture from Casa Malaparte: a table, a bench and a console. Made in Italy, these pieces are each composed of a simple and elegant solid walnut top supported by a pair of columnar legs. The table legs are carved from solid pine wood in smooth, enveloping diagonal curves that accentuate the natural patterns of the wood grain. The bench legs are composed of column capitals cut from Carrara marble, while the console legs are made of tuff stone capitals, juxtaposing familiar motifs from the rich classical past of Malaparte's native Italy with modern minimalist forms.
In this transport presentation, the Davies Street gallery will be arranged to resemble the main hall of the Casa Malaparte, a stone-paved space with ocean views that is famously featured in Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 film Contempt. A suite of Baroque-style porcelain pieces formerly owned by Malaparte will also be on display.
These works, which include flower-studded mirrors and candelabras and free-standing sculptures, depict allegorical figures and scenes from classical mythology. Furnished with the captivating designs and personal properties of Malaparte, the exhibition will pay homage to the life and spirit of one of the most complex and provocative figures of the Italian avant-garde.
CASA MALAPARTE – Furniture, 25 March – 16 May 2020 – Gagosian London
Cover image: The consul at Casa Malaparte. Photo: Thomas Lannes
