Haute Couture in Porcelain
Exhibition NRW-Forum Düsseldorf
31 October – 20 November 2008
Munich / Düsseldorf, October 2008. To celebrate its 260th anniversary, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg launched a limited edition of the world-famous Commedia dell'Arte figures produced in 1759/60 by the rococo sculptor, Franz Anton Bustelli.
Sixteen fashion designers of the highest acclaim were invited to design "new clothes" as a new décor for their favourite figure. The creations by Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix, Viktor & Rolf, Elie Saab and other haute-couture designers with their different cultural and creative approaches reflect the entire bandwidth of today's global fashion scene and demonstrate Nymphenburg's conscious focus on contemporary design.
From 31 October, these figures will be on show at the NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf – along with the original white porcelain figures and drafts by the designers and photographs by Florian Böhm – who created portraits of the designers and their studios – as well as details from the porcelain workshops … all of which make the process of producing the figures come to life.
With these figures, his main work, the rococo sculptor, Franz Anton Bustelli, succeeded in establishing the worldwide reputation of Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg in the 18th century. In his probably most artistic ensemble of figures, he presented eight couples from the Commedia dell'Arte, the world-famous Italian improvisation comedy of the 16th century.
Against the backdrop of the history of exhibitions at the NRW-Forum - Werner Lippert, its managing director and curator, has in the recent past presented a Vivienne Westwood retrospective and shows of the works of Mario Testino and Jeanloup Sieff – the planned exposition will also and in particular be documenting the association with fashion.
With designs in their characteristic styles, the designers have realised their vision of a contemporary interpretation of Bustelli's figurines. The show at the NRW-Forum enchantingly combines the rococo period with the modern day, highest porcelain art with fashion, the Commedia dell'Arte with the catwalk.
The following fashion designers have presented designs for the Commedia dell'Arte Couture Edition:
Adeline André, Damiano Biella (Escada), Igor Chapurin, Esteban Cortazar (Emanuel Ungaro), Maurizio Galante, Christian Lacroix, Gustavo Lins, Pascal Millet (Carven), Gareth Pugh, Ralph Rucci, Elie Saab, Dominique Sirop, Franck Sorbier, Naoki Takizawa, Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood
Advance orders for the Collectors' Book to the edition may be placed at the NRW-Forum shop.
Haute Couture in porcelain / designs for Nymphenburg 31.10 – 20.11.2008
A gallery exhibition on the top floor of the NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft / www.nrw-forum.de
Ehrenhof 2, 40479 Düsseldorf
Opening times: Tue to Sun, 11.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. / Fri midnight
The exhibition will be on show at Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg in Munich from 22.01.2009 to 12.02.2009.