London, 6 November 2019: Starhotels has launched its new contemporary patronage campaign La Grande Bellezza – The Dream Factory which is committed to preserving and promoting Italy’s extraordinary creativity and talent.
Spearheaded by the hotel’s group president Elisabetta Fabri, the project features two leading institutions whose mission is to safeguard top Italian craftsmanship, Associazione OMA – Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, as well as the publishing company Gruppo Editoriale.
Starhotels strives to provide a platform and create opportunities for Italian craftspeople and companies, spreading the word through PR and communications whilst also generating orders and creating work, passing on the art of patronage that has always preserved and enabled Italian artisanship to flourish for centuries.
The programme envisages three activity areas in the next two years:
- Creating Starhotels branded product ranges curated by Art Director and designer Sara Ricciardi and crafted by various leading craft companies and artisans;
- Involving skilled artisans in renovating the brand’s hotels;
- Organizing events, exhibitions, workshops and meetings at Starhotels.
The project also involves awarding talented Italian artisans for their work at the September 2020 Venice showcase HOMO FABER. The themes of the contest, which will be held every two years, will always be chosen from the hospitality sector and will refer to the hotel environment and specific design categories (lighting, interior decor, furniture and fittings, etc.).
The first edition will focus on the theme ‘Source of Light’ and candidates will present their original arts and crafts that are inspired by light.
The La Grande Bellezza project supports a sector that represents an extraordinary fount of expertise, beauty and knowledge that flows throughout Italy, making the country unique internationally. The Dream Factory is not only a cultural and artistic initiative, but a productive project since the knowledge behind our artisanship underpins the finest Italian products.
This patrimony is not sufficiently well known, valued and protected since Italian craftspeople lack opportunities to be seen in the utmost settings and there is a shortage of cross-generational knowledge sharing.
La Grande Bellezza was presented to the press, dignitaries and the world of art and culture on Monday 4 November during a special event held at Rosa Grand Milano – Starhotels Collezione in Milan. Ettore Mocchetti, architect and editor of AD, was the guest moderator, a lifelong connoisseur of design, outstanding craftsmanship and Italian lifestyle.
The event was the occasion for the official signing of the partnership agreement between Starhotels and the project partners, symbolically signed with a pen from the “La Grande Bellezza Gemstones” collection created by Pineider, a historic name of Italian excellence.
Sara Ricciardi, an emerging talent in contemporary design with a penchant for craftsmanship, was in attendance as the project’s art director. Her striking installation developed with master artisans Venini and Bianco Bianchi was on display at the event and an extraordinary five-metre-tall wrought iron tree, known as Arbor Vitae, made by the famous Fucina di Efesto completes the exhibition on at the Rosa Grand until 31 January 2020.
“As an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector that thrives thanks to Italian craftsmanship, I feel the need the support little-known artisans who are essential in creating our ‘Great Beauty’ through opportunities and promotional activities,” commented Elisabetta Fabri, President of Starhotels, who was recently awarded with the Italian Order of Merit for Labour.
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