ENGLISH VERSION length and are joined to the slightly longer middle finger. Two thumbs are on the sides, leaning outwards and equal in size. Often the hand is decorated with engravings, the most characteristic being those of the Muslim and Jewish versions: the former with an open eye (the eye of Allah) and the latter with a Star of David in the palm of the hand. The five fingers (hamesh in Hebrew) represent the five books of the Torah, as well as the HE, the fifth letter of the alphabet, which is also one of the names of God. From there, his passion for hands took Fulvio Ronchi to Latin America, where he came across the Mano Poderosa or All-Powerful Hand. This showed the right hand of God with upright fingers and a palm with stigmata facing the spectator. This popular image originally hailed from Mexico and Brazil, before becoming the Milagros in Chile, where it is often portrayed on religious prayer cards or votive candles. In Europe, Ronchi discovered four particular interpretations of the theme, including ex-voto offerings in many sanctuaries, such as the one at Custoza containing more than 5,000 made of wax; reliquaries of the hands of Saints in Italy, France, Spain and Germany; the Mutuo Soccorso, a popular cultural icon showing two hands shaking; and the hand of Masonry, with its gesture and a pact of alliance. Fulvio Ronchi overwhelms you with his stories, which move from one place to another, from one culture to another in a seemingly haphazard, disorganised manner that is, however, actually based on interconnected references. These also come from the many books in his library, all of which he has read: everything from Desmond Morris, a past-master when it comes to investigating gestures, to Bruno Munari and his Il dizionario dei gesti degli italiani. He also whisks you away into the world of music when telling you about Guido D’Arezzo, the inventor of the “Guidonian Hand” upon which the Baroque melody is based. “While reading books, I came across a myriad of interpretations, meanings and symbols of the hand, and I then divided them up into categories. These studies, this inspiration prompted journeys so I could discover first-hand what was actually left of certain cultures: not just objects, crafts and works of applied art, but also paintings, sculptures and iconographies.” In India he had a moving encounter with the Hand of Sati, the suicide for love. “The wives of the Maharaja were locked up in a room, and they would leave their handprint on the wall before immolating themselves on the pyre of their dead husband,” he explains. His house is a veritable Wunderkammer. His hands are on display in every corner, each made extraordinary by its intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics: from the most valuable works such as Giò Ponti archetypes, to the Pop hands of Coca-Cola, it is a fantastical, fascinating collection of art and ethno-anthropology, which gathers places and symbols together around one exceptional obsession: that of the human hand, with its incredible world of functions, symbols and allegories. It is the instrument we use to leave an indelible mark on the world. “There is no order in terms of chronology or meaning. My collection has about 1,000 sculptures, and more than 1,500 iconographic documents. I only display some of them, while the rest are stored away in boxes until the day I can fulfil my most ambitious dream of all and open a museum of the hand. Or else hold an exhibition, or write a book. I am a communicator, and my collection came about so it could be conveyed to the public.” For the time being, his thousands of hands lie undisturbed in his cabinet right in the heart of Milan, creating the backdrop for a fantastical theatre: a stage set worthy of a latter-day Jules Verne. IN FULL LIGHT Alberto Cavalli Sand, air, fire. These are the elements of which glass is made. To which Rinaldo Invernizzi, chairman of the famed Murano-based company Barovier & Toso, has since added a fourth: talent. Because without the talent, abnegation and passionate creativity of master glassblowers, who transform an iridescent, shapeless matter into a magnificent, transparent object, Murano’s fame would never have existed. And with its 700-year history, Barovier & Toso (established on the island in the Venetian lagoon in 1295) has followed the ups and downs, the fate and the gradual transformation of Murano every step of the way. Murano, the symbol of hand-blown artistic glass renowned worldwide. Celebrated for its monumental chandeliers that evoke the splendours of Venice’s golden age, but extremely attentive to contemporary trends, Barovier & Toso has recently decided to reveal its identity in the very place that has 122
witnessed its birth and its success: Murano, of course. The master glassblowers of the island were guarded as a state secret by the authorities of the Serenissima: those who accepted an offer to go abroad and reveal the secrets of Murano glass would be prosecuted and even murdered by the emissaries of the Republic of Venice. Craftsmanship was a competitive advantage and a national prestige, and as such it was preserved and protected. Today, Murano glass is undoubtedly going through a rocky period: besieged by other productions, threatened by the lack of artisans, it still attracts talented artists and designers, but at the same time it runs the risk of losing its stature. To revamp a world-acknowledged privilege that needs an injection of energy, Barovier & Toso has decided to invest in the island that first spawned the business. To do so, it is opening a spectacular, unprecedented space to narrate its own history, to receive its clients, to celebrate the glory of Murano. Palazzo Barovier & Toso, on the banks of Rio dei Vetrai, is unique of its kind: in an area covering more than 900 square metres, the magic of glass coexists with both the company’s splendid tradition and its bright (in every sense) prospects for the future. Entirely redesigned by the Calvi Brambilla architecture studio, Palazzo Barovier & Toso also hosts spectacular artworks designed by Jason Martin, Brigitte Kowanz and Astrid Krogh. “Our previous premises were very small,” admits Rinaldo Invernizzi. “We tried our best to turn a need into a opportunity. The inspiration for the Palazzo was provided by the four elements I consider the pillars of our company. First and foremost, our history: with our 700 years of uninterrupted presence in Murano and in the world, we have a great and authentic story to tell. The second is our roots: we find ourselves in the fortunate position to legitimately lay claim to our Venetian origin. Then, the necessity to always capture a contemporary spirit, the spirit of the times: we wanted to underline this trait by placing artworks around the showroom. It is a delicate yet crucial balance between historical and contemporary elements, and I think this has been very well distilled in the harmonious design of our architects Calvi and Brambilla. Lastly, we also needed to display our pieces and showcase them properly: in fact, the final vocation of such an articulated and complex building is to be in dialogue with its contents, to place itself at the disposal of the objects. On a personal level, I really wanted to create something beautiful, something that had never existed before.” Barovier & Toso is particularly active in Russia, China and the United States (indeed it operates in over 80 countries), and it dedicates its Palazzo to its most special clients, who truly embrace the spirit of the Brand: a spirit perfectly embodied in the Taif chandelier, hanging at the entrance – a monumental piece created in 1980 for a royal residence in Saudi Arabia. The first floor hosts a series of monochrome spaces, dedicated to the five main colours of Barovier: blue, black, gold, red, white. Every room presents examples of what the master glassblowers can do, both when they reinterpret the tradition or when they work side by side with a designer. It is a display of accomplished craftsmanship without compare. In fact, a glassblower can be considered a true master only after many years of experience and practice. The craft can only be learned on the job, “stealing with your eyes” as much as you can. In order to bridge this art into the future, Barovier & Toso invests in training new apprentices: talents that need to collaborate with skilled master glassblowers, who have been working in the brand’s furnaces for years. Masters who put their expertise at the disposal of young talent, who will one day take their place, perpetuating their knowhow. Craftsmanship and design, splendour and technology take visitors by the hand as they tour the top floor. Here, the rooms with beamed ceilings host large chandeliers in all the styles that Barovier & Toso masters – that is to say, everything ranging from the Baroque to the future. The presence of a bar and a café suggest how Barovier & Toso is also open to partnerships with other brands for the contract market, collaborating with fashion houses, hotels, restaurants. In all these rooms the magnificent chandeliers are not only admired, but actually consolidate the identity of the space. When asked whether the Palazzo is a point of arrival or another starting point, Mr Invernizzi smiles and refers to the brand’s values: “This is our home, a place where we welcome our guests to show them who we are and what we believe in. We believe in our cultural legacy: the ability to transmit the art of traditional glassblowing from one generation to the next for over 700 years. We believe in passion: in this field, beauty can only be achieved if you put your heart into what you are doing. And we believe in excellence, which is what Barovier & Toso guarantees in every single phase of the creative and productive process.”
