This year we are once again talking about the Lake Como Design Festival, the design festival spread throughout the city overlooking Lake Lario. Between exhibitions and public installations, there are plenty of things to see and the time available is only one week, from 15 to 22 September. So we have selected the unmissable events in our opinion.
For those who don’t know it, the Lake Como Design Festival is an initiative of Wonderlake Como that every year aims to organise exhibitions and moments of reflection in historical places in the city, with the objective of promoting and sharing the artistic and cultural heritage of the city through what is the most democratic language of all, design. In fact, we are not only talking about design but also art. In fact, the exhibitions we will be proposing swing on the thin line that divides, and sometimes unites, design from art – this year all under the theme of Lightness.
The Lightness
‘The theme of lightness, which we have chosen this year, can be interpreted in countless forms and can find its raison d’être in all the different forms of creativity,’ says festival creator and artistic director Lorenzo Butti. ‘Developing exhibitions and special projects that can propose a dialogue between art and design has always been the stylistic hallmark of our programme, and every year we endeavour to offer our visitors a new way of looking at these disciplines and creativity in general, by placing the exhibitions in unique architectural contexts that can themselves be an integral part of the exhibition itinerary’.
#1 Palazzo del Broletto,The Form of Lightness – an exhibition about the chair
The Form of Lightness brings to the stage 28 seats made between 1924 and 2024 with different techniques and materials and from different currents and countries. On display, among others, are designs by Mario Botta, Cini Boeri, Marcel Breuer, Paolo Buffa, Joe Colombo, Francesco Faccin, Eileen Gray, Piero Lissoni, Vico Magistretti, Alberto Meda, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Jasper Morrison, Verner Panton, Gio Ponti, Aldo Rossi, Giuseppe Terragni.
#2 San Pietro in Atrio, Lightness on Paper – explore the engraving technique
This year, the church of San Pietro in Atrio will host a group exhibition in cooperation with Lithos, a Como-based publishing house specialising in prints and art books. For the occasion, a series of artists, designers and architects will interpret the theme of lightness through the ancient techniques of engraving. Among the creatives involved are DWA Design Studio, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Valerio Gaeti, Francesco Faccin, Naessi Studio, Lucia Pescador, Franco Raggi and Mario Trimarchi. Enveloped in a contemplative atmosphere, prints of the works dialogue with the original plates.
#3 Villa del Grumello, Lightness in Progress – art and design group exhibition
Lightness in Progress is a group exhibition that explores the theme of lightness through works by designers, artists, and publishers involving galleries of modern and contemporary design. Set up in the historic Villa del Grumello on the shores of Lake Como, the exhibition winds its way through several rooms with a selection of new projects and furnishing accessories that share an aesthetic of lightness in form and material. Among the projects on display are works by Andrea Branzi, Angelo Mangiarotti, Paolo Buffa, and crystals by artists such as Pietro Chiesa and Laura Santillana, as well as a selection from the Ico Parisi Archive.
#4 Chilometro della Conoscenza, Contemporary Design Selection – between technology and craftsmanship
Contemporary Design Selection is a project we had already seen last year, again curated by Giovanna Massoni. Here the exhibition embraces the concept of lightness chosen by the Festival for this new edition and presents a series of objects that bring together traditional craftsmanship and technology, seeking a balance between past and present. The aim is to rediscover the local craft heritage, updating techniques and materials to make them sustainable and free of the weight of tradition. The exhibition is divided into three themes: the removal of weight and environmental impact, agile and multifunctional objects, and spaces of light that transcend materiality. In the Serra del Grumello, a temporary restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Samuel Carugati enriches the event, accompanied by talks with designers moderated by journalist Paolo Ferrarini.
#5 Villa Anna, Weight of Illumination – an exploration of light
The exhibition Weight of Illumination at Villa Anna in Cernobbio, a stone’s throw from Como, is produced by the Swiss gallery Grieder Contemporary. The exhibition explores the double meaning of light as luminosity and weightlessness, using humour, surrealism and twists. Accompanied by period furniture that complements the villa’s Art Nouveau architecture, the exhibition features contemporary artworks that defy gravity and play with the perception of space.
#6 Widespread installation by Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi
A wide-ranging project conceived by the Catanian artist Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi involves various commercial activities scattered throughout the city of Como, which become the context for site-specific artistic interventions. This year’s theme, lightness, is explored by the artist in its various meanings through the use of words, giving life to phrases, thoughts and poetic suggestions. During the festival, the public is invited to discover the artist’s works through a dedicated map, which will guide them to interact with the places and inhabitants of Como.
