Studio Orta

On May 2nd, ZegnArt celebrated the opening of Expo Milan 2015. For the occasion, Lucy + Jorge Orta were commissioned to create a series of monumental wall murals for the Ermenegildo Zegna global headquarters, forming a stunning backdrop to the performance Symphony of Absent Wildlife and Act XXXVII of their artist dinners, 70 x 7 The Meal. The exhibition Fabulae Naturae curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, will be open to the public on May 10th, 24th and 31st.

The artists transformed the remarkable architecture designed by Antonio Citterio into a forest of immense floral murals reminiscent of the Oasi Zegna. The larger-than-life murals were inspired by the artists’ research undertaken in the Heberlein Fund, a vast printed textile collection conserved by the Zegna Archive. At the centerpiece of the setting is a life-size tree floor drawing, whose branches lead visitors to thefood stations, where the famous chef Davide Oldani served a menu of sustainable delicacies. Choosing timely convivial moments to discuss sustainable issues, Lucy + Jorge Orta have created a limited edition of Royal Limoges porcelain, to provoke debates between guests, and to support the restoration of the Punta Mesco area in Italy. For each artwork sold a row of vines will be planted, bearing the name of each «owner».

For Fabulae Naturae, Lucy + Jorge Orta create a true ode to wildlife. Along side the immense kaleidoscope of murals, the artists staged Symphony for Absent Wildlife, a visual and audio installation, to intensify the feeling of stepping into a fairy tale world, inhabited by fictional creatures of the forest. The three-dimensional sound-scape is conceived as a dichotomy between a ‘false’ orchestra of flutists acting in a symphony for nature and a ‘true’ orchestra consisting of bird whistles. Each musician wears a tailcoat and mask, in the form of a woodland creature tailored from reclaimed felt blankets.

Fabulae Naturae is a new episode of the art and food performances that Lucy + Jorge Orta have presented in cities around the world since 1997, in which they connect art, nutrition and ethical themes. Watch the video clip.