YouNique - Fine craft art & design
From Friday 22 March to Sunday 24 March, the city of Lugano returns to talk about and welcome artists, international contemporary art galleries and high artistic craftsmanship with the fifth edition of YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design, the exhibition market in whose know-how is closely connected with art and design.
A new edition which, in the wake of the success of the previous ones, places ever greater emphasis on contemporary art, thus contemplating a complete proposal dedicated to art, from the decorative to the visual, with a strong presence this year also of photography.
The theater of the event - conceived and curated by Andrea Peri, director, and Sonia Gaffuri, event manager of Target Management - are as always the richly decorated rooms of Villa Ciani, a nineteenth-century residence of great charm overlooking the shores of Lake Ceresio in the heart of Lugano.
The works of the many independent artists present, of the art galleries and of the master craftsmen give life to an exhibition itinerary which, as always, aims to enhance the unique piece and tell the story of know-how in all its most exclusive and precious meanings, ranging not only in high craftsmanship and design, but also in contemporary art tout court.
This year, then, a particular focus is reserved for the world of photography thanks to the presence of the Associazione Culturale Emergenze Fotografiche and the Meta.Project gallery which exhibits, among others, the photographic works of Giorgio Lotti, one of the most famous living italian photojournalists.
Finally, the prestigious patronage of the event by the Fondazione Cologni Mestieri d'Arte and the Michelangelo Foundation is renewed, which is also present at YouNique this year with the Homo Faber Guide and with one of its most talented Swiss artisans: Miki Eleta, Master watchmaker of incredible value.
Now in its fifth edition, from Friday 22 March to Sunday 24 March YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design, the market exhibition dedicated to high artistic craftsmanship and contemporary art, returns to the neoclassical rooms of Villa Ciani in Lugano.
With the patronage and contribution of the City of Lugano and Lugano Region, the patronage of OMA - Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte, Confartigianato Firenze, Fondazione Cologni Mestieri d'Arte and Michelangelo Foundation, YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design is conceived and curated by Andrea Peri, director, and Sonia Gaffuri, event manager of Target Management, a Swiss company specialized in "bespoke" projects and events for the world of excellence and art.
Furthermore, since 2022, the event has become part of the Wellmade circuit, a platform that aims to spread the culture of quality and bring together the different realities that work daily for the enhancement and promotion of excellent craftsmanship .
Added to this is, since last year, the presence of YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design in the Homo Faber Guide, an exclusive project of the Michelangelo Foundation which brings together and connects all the excellence of craftsmanship at a global level through a digital platform. worldwide, from talented artisans, to ateliers, to producers, to museums and exhibitions. Furthermore, this year Technogym, a well-known brand of cutting-edge sports equipment with a unique and timeless design, is also participating among the partners.
The first novelty of 2024 is the addition of an extra day of opening: no longer two, but three days of the exhibition-market, in which Friday 22 March will be dedicated to operators in the sector and the press, while still guaranteeing the possibility of accessing the demonstration also to the public.
From paintings to photography, from mosaics to glass and sculptures, from fine fabrics to precious jewels, passing through design objects, be they furnishing accessories, accessories or even fitness equipment, "know-how" and creativity are the protagonists of YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design which focuses even more on the exclusivity of art in all its forms and on the uniqueness of the artefact.
That’s because YouNique, which has now become an important point of reference in the panorama of high artistic craftsmanship in Switzerland and Northern Italy, continues to implement its presence in the art world with this new edition, still hosting an exclusive selection of international galleries of contemporary art and independent artists.
A particular space is dedicated to the art of photography thanks to the Associazione Culturale Emergenze Fotografiche - a group of emerging artists united by the maturity given by age and experience who bring into their works emotions and reflections linked to adulthood, to what gave meaning to their lives and what tomorrow holds - and to the Meta.Project gallery which presents, among the artists represented, the shots of Giorgio Lotti, one of the best-known Italian photojournalists in the country, who took the most printed photo in the world (with over one hundred million copies), the official portrait of the Chinese politician Zhou enLai.
Furthermore, Meta.Project will participate with an innovative project linked to the virtual world and NTFs: eight artists, all photographers, in addition to exhibiting their physical works, will propose a selection of their NFTs in the Meta.project virtual gallery. Every visitor, wearing a headset, can thus live a totally immersive experience in the Metaverse. Among the galleries present, also Promoart, an eclectic reality that has dedicated itself for years to promoting art and culture in its many forms, the Lugano-based Deep Gallery with the artists Chiara Magni, Milo, Antonio Murgia and Knulp, Madeinartgallery, a space exhibition of constantly evolving Chinese contemporary art, and AASpazioArte, a new reality in Lugano oriented towards both abstract and figurative contemporary art.
Finally, two prestigious entities renew their patronage of the event: Fondazione Cologni Mestieri d'Arte and Michelangelo Foundation, present again this year at YouNique with the Homo Faber Guide project which will have as its representative a Swiss craftsman of incredible value, Miki Eleta. Master Watchmaker, member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants since 2008, creates his complex watches in the tradition of Swiss fine watchmaking, while at the same time creating unique and innovative works of art.
YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design is this and much more: three days to admire and purchase unique pieces, but above all to meet artists who explore various mediums and dialogue with contemporaneity and current events, to observe skilled craftsmen while they give to life their creations and to understand what it means to be a master of art who preserves history and traditions, while using imagination and experience.
The independent artists, galleries and luxury artisans who will be protagonists of the fifth edition of YouNique – Fine Craft Art & Design are: Alessandro Di Marco, Ambientazioni Carraro, Amirata Winter, Atelierartinbronzo, Atelier Taftique by Jules Vissers, Boite D'or Lugano, Carlo Zoli, Claudia Hartmann, Davide Maule, Diego Guidi, Elisabeth Huebscher, Eva Antonini, Federico Pinto Schmid-DiPinto, Francesca And Elia Works, Francesca Calzolari, Francois Bonjour, Gianni Mirone, Gilde Scarti e Mestieri, Glendavid, Miki Eleta per Homo Faber, Iliana Ilieva, Irena Dragova, Johannes Weinsheimer, La Galleria Art & Design, Laura Meroni Design Collection, Lorenzo Foglia - Foglia Firenze 1935, Manuela Mollwitz, Michou Manzolini, K-Over, Pusterlamarmi, Rh + Art Design And Creation di Gianni Rodenhauser and Judith Holstein, Rossana Riboldi, Serena Luxury Mosaics, Studio Andrea Polcri, Technogym, Madeinartgallery with Zhang Hong Mei, Xu De Qi and Chen Wenling, AA Spazio Arte with Fabio Calvetti, Kane Mclay, Pierre Rulens, Marco Vido, Cesare Viola and Angela Toscanini, Meta.Project with Elena Rivautella, Alice Serafino, Giorgio Lotti, Andrea Mori, Davide Jelmini, Diego Dominici, Cesare Gualdoni and Mauro Guglielminotti, Associazione Culturale Emergenze Fotografiche with Carlo Zoppi, Matteo Cervone, Luca Zampini and Roberto Pagliani, Deep Gallery with Chiara Magni, Milo, Antonio Murgia and Knulp, Promoart.
During the three days of the exhibition-market, there will be a focus on contemporary art curated by the Meta.project gallery which presents a schedule of meetings and events.
In the Meta.project room there will be a station where the visitor can wear the viewer and thus live an immersive experience in the metaverse, exploring the works of eight photographers.
Additionally, artist Federico Pinto Schmid, known as DiPinto, will give live painting demonstrations, creating live works of art.
Along the entire route of Villa Ciani there will be a widespread exhibition with Giorgio Lotti's photographs, in particular those of his "Artists" project for which he immortalized many of the characters who have made the history of the last 50 years, including Andy Warhol , Yayoi Kusama, Lucio Fontana and many others.
During the days of Saturday and Sunday, in the room of the AA Spazio Arte gallery, a pictorial performance by the artist Andrea Esposito "Magical realism" and "Painted Joker".
Finally two meetings: Saturday 23 March at 4pm "The fascinating world of NFTs" in which with the lawyer, Elena Rivautella, administrator of Meta.project sa, will explain what NFTs are, the blockchain, which artists have been successful in the NFT market, and why to buy them.
On Sunday 24 March, again at 4pm, there will be a conference themed "Photojournalism" with Giorgio Lotti.
YouNique Fine Craft Art & Design
22 – 24 March 2024
Villa Ciani – Piazza Indipendenza 4, Lugano
Opening time 22 March 10 am – 4 pm 23 – 24 March 10 am – 8 pm
Ticket 20 CHF / 20 €
