Would you cite some significant examples of synergistic collaboration between artists and architects?

Among the many examples at our disposal, there is the project for the Monte Sant'Angelo station of the Naples underground by Anish Kapoor, in collaboration with the London studio Future System, in which I see a total synergy. The station is actually a sculpture of architectural dimensions, produced and developed by the duo. Then, it comes to my mind the bright ceiling on the top floor of the skyscraper of the Sofitel Hotel in Vienna designed by Jean Nouvel, who asked Pipilotti Rist to intervene with her art. The idea of using ceilings as an image field was a theme that Nouvel had already addressed in the project of the The Hotel in Lucerne. Finally, I would mention a project closer to me, that is the ceiling of the Rai building in Viale Mazzini in Rome, designed by my father in 1965, with the countertop in metal slabs by the artist Gino Marotta.

Which artists in particular inspire you? In what projects can we find these inspirations?

The references closest to me belong to minimalist art, from the minimal geometric structures of Donald Judd to the monumental structures of Richard Serra, with his large curved iron slabs. For example, in a villa I designed in San Gemini (Terni, Italy) the facade consists of a flat iron slab about four meters high and forty meters long, without any opening, suspended over the empty space of the living room and over the valley behind it. Here, the reference to Richard Serra is evident.

In other projects the reference to contemporary art passes through the device of quotation. For instance, the rooms of the Ibis Style Hotel in Rome are designed as living pools decorated with celestial tiles. The reference is to the installation The Swimming Pool by the Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich in the 21st Museum of Contemporary Art of Kanazawa, in Japan. Finally, I would mention the project of the Manassei Palace Penthouse, in Terni, built inside a building of the sixteenth century. In the palaces of this historical period there was often the Hall of Geographical Maps, which I was inspired by for the design of a dining table in the shape of Italy. Another reference was “the reversed Italy” by Luciano Fabro.

How important is it to support customers when choosing artworks for the interiors of their homes?

It is crucial in every possible case. When the customer already has a collection, the set-up is part of the interior design or renovation project itself. Therefore, it is as important as the suggestion of pieces of furniture that, in my case, always belong to the history of modern and contemporary design. Otherwise, it is necessary to guide the customers in choosing the artists and, whenever possible, it is interesting to select young artists to become part of the general project.

I normally start from designing the space, which is what interests me the most. Then comes the creation of a dialogue between the pieces of art, which can be three-dimensional sculptures or two-dimensional paintings, architecture and furniture. What we must aim for is a relationship of juxtaposition and measure. I am reminded of the aseptic and minimal designs of the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who used to insert the figures of classical and figurative statues within his spaces, which would otherwise be completely abstract. These spaces acquired measure and dimension right through the works of art, and the result was the masterpiece we know.