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Pietro Porcinai in Trivero. Gardens and landscape between public and private

Da sabato 7 maggio al 10 luglio 2016

Public works for the community of Trivero, private gardens and corporate projects: these were the three areas of the long collaboration between the Zegnas and Pietro Porcinai, one of the greatest Italian landscape architects and internationally renowned thanks to his work with major 20th century architects such as BBPR, Franco Albini, Carlo Scarpa and Oscar Niemeyer. From Saturday 7 May to 10 July, Casa Zegna is celebrating this long professional friendship with an exhibition entitled “Pietro Porcinai in Trivero. Gardens and landscape between public and private”, an exploration of his studies, designs and works in and around Trivero.

Hosted in a space Porcinai himself designed as a winter garden on the roof of the Zegna Wool Milland now used for temporary events, the exhibition introduces visitors to his main works, from 1950 on, first for Ermenegildo Zegnaand then for his sons Angelo and Aldo.. These include the spectacular Conca dei Rododendri, public projects in the mountains above Trivero, the transformation of land between private homes and the Wool Mill into hospitality and PR places for international visitors, and the homes of Angelo and Aldo Zegna (Cà Gianin and Al Roc).

This is also a unique opportunity to relive certain events and fashion shows in the gardens of Trivero in the ‘70s, which in their sophisticated yet informal way embodied a typically Italian hospitality that rapidly became famous all over the world, thanks to Ermenegildo Zegna. Another special attraction is the exhibition’s accompanying theme of phytosociology, the science of relationships within vegetable communities.

And for little kids (5-12) and teens (from 12 upwards), there are workshops entitled “”Paesaggi immaginati”” (Imaginary landscapes) curated by Elena Taverna (Saturday 7 May, from 15.00 to 18.00; free of charge, subject to booking), who will take the kids on a voyage of discovery around the marvelous artistry and creativity of Porcinai’s works. The two main themes are Secret Gardens, with a pop-up work of poetic spaces hidden between the pages for late spring blossoming and magical flights of butterflies; and Land Art, with wires rigged between trees branches creating playful tensile gardens, fantastic nests and dream dens.