Nilufar is always on my hit list. Usually, I prioritize their sprawling Depot location, but this year, the gallery on Via della Spiga was an early stop for me. Valentina Ciuffi, one of the curators who has long spearheaded emerging talent mecca Alcova, was putting together a show called “La Casa Magica,” which talked about symbols, spirituality, and rituals across cultures. It was somehow witchy, techy, and folk art-y all at once–intriguing! I died for a rocking chair and bed by Made By Astronauts, whose work I’ve been championing for a few years, Anita Morvillo’s otherworldly delicate glass fixtures, Sonia Górecka’s contemporary, shimmering riffs on Polish folk textiles, and the elaborate, paper pulp sculpture-oddities by Davide Monaldi, who told me, “I’m fascinated by the little things people do without thinking of it.”
Speaking of, Alcova—a big fair of up-and-comers—is always one of my main beats for spotting emerging talent. This year, Franco Albini’s Villa Pestarini, a private residence he designed in 1939 and never before open to visitors, hosted part of the fair. “People keep asking me if this was the original furniture in the room,” Kiki Goti told me. “I thought this was the biggest compliment.” The Greek designer was showing new marble furniture and lighting alongside longtime kings of the klismos, Saridis of Athens. Around the house, designers entered into dialogue with Albini’s architecture (which I consider Rationism-lite, with its friendly squiggles and bubblegum pink accents) and some of his original furniture, reissued by Cassina. I loved the latest felted window coverings from Georgian duo In The Studio, Sophie Dries’ installation with Issé, and, in the basement, Boccamonte’s newly reissued furnishings by Albini collaborator Luisa Castiglioni.
Over at their other location, an erstwhile military hospital, I zipped through crumbling rooms pretty quickly (in my opinion, Alcova could stand to edit its selection to just one location, but alas). My favorites? Sophie Ashby showcased a range of furniture and lighting from her own lines, sister-architects Ma-Ma presented new, endlessly modular furniture, and husband-wife duo Natalia Triantafylli and Andrew Pierce Scott had some Arts and Crafts-y furnishings (he does the metalwork; she does the ceramic) that felt like a delightfully freaky spawn of William Morris. Imagine: trompe l’oeil ceramic seat cushions and crude florals galore.