Wyatt AllgeierTo begin, I’d love to hear about the Incontri program. This concept of orchestrating meetings and dialogues between the Poliform world and visionaries from other fields is a striking one. Could you tell us about your project with Paolo Roversi?
Giovanni AnzaniPaolo Roversi is considered one of Italy’s most eminent artists. He has created pictures that have shaped the history of photography. Working primarily in the realm of fashion, he has photographed legendary models and haute couture, and his distinctive signature has always been his extraordinary ability to capture the very soul of his subjects, whether animate or inanimate. Whether his lens is focused on a model, an old friend, or a designer item, with every exchange between Roversi and his environment the resulting image carries a subtle, touching ripple. He approaches every photograph like a portrait.
Roversi’s art is a metaphysics of daily life. It’s a form of poetry where the subject, whatever its nature, is broken down into shapes and colors in the search for absolute purity. This search is akin to the one that has inspired us—Aldo Spinelli, Alberto Spinelli, and myself [founders of Poliform]—in our own industry.
WACould you tell us more about your project with Roversi and what drew you to working with him?
GAAs the company has grown over the years, Poliform’s quest for the essence of things has translated into an unmistakable sensitivity that underpins every project. Roversi’s portraits capture this vision in the most accessible and immediate manner there is, especially at a time when communication is based first and foremost on images.
WAAre you able to say anything about future iterations of the Incontri initiative? I’m sure our readers would be curious to know how this program is planned to develop.
GAPoliform is already a constantly evolving world, and we have started to push our horizons, too, toward new and more elevated levels. We want to open up to the different creative fields—photography, fashion, social media, art, architecture, and so on—to discover partnerships that will allow us, together, to build something new. Seeing what other creative talents are doing is the most exciting moment, a starting point: Who is experimenting on what? And the natural question follows: How can Poliform, while retaining its DNA of high quality and excellence, look beyond the current horizon and be ahead of any trends? How can it exchange ideas with another entity?
Poliform’s know-how is based on years of experience in lifestyle and interiors, and endless tests on designs, products, and materials. This is the inner strength that, when blended with anything as creative and as strong, can generate something new, engaging, and meaningful. Collaborating with someone we admire because they speak the same language or have the same vision might seem to be the easier approach; the results can be beautiful, but they will be more or less expected. It is in the unexpected matching, in collaborating with someone outside the predictable, that a whole new form of creativity emerges.
The most exciting and innovative projects start there. It’s a brand’s history and expertise that give substance to these projects, and form the foundation for a new chapter. Knowing how to embrace the new and to treasure it is already a successful formula. That is Incontri.
WAGiven the timing of our interview, we have to ask: what does Poliform have planned for the Salone del Mobile in Milan this year?
GAPoliform is presenting Percezioni, a project born from a reflection on the meaning of design and on the relationship between human beings and nature. In the cloisters of San Simpliciano, in Brera, a suggestive space of black lapilli will host the new outdoor collection, creating a meditative space where you can stop and listen to your senses. It’s a proposal that transforms one of the most evocative places in the Brera Design District into a place of calm and beauty.
WAWe’re curious to hear about the role of visual art in Poliform’s design process. Are there particular artists, museums, art movements that have served as sources of inspiration over the years?
GAEvery person I meet, every book I leaf through, every art exhibition I visit, every trip, every purchase, stimulates me to create something useful for the company. We must never stop. We should never feel like we’ve arrived.
