MACHAS

The Look Of Music: Ufo5 for La Rinascente Florence & Pitti Uomo 2014

The 85th edition of Pitti Uomo has started today and as the tagline “Rock Me Pitti” suggests the fashion crowd is set to rock the Tuscan capital. To celebrate the world’s leading fashion menswear trade show La Rinascente has called seven leading artists, from architecture to paper cut, to visualize seven different musical genres for an art take-over of their window displays.

Ufo5 has lent is hand made paper cut skills to bring to life Baroque music and we caught up for a chat and know more about the project.

It’s quite interesting to see that there is no product in the windows.
UFO5: Yes it is indeed. However the concept was to create a sort of gallery open to the public 7 days a week for a month and a half.

Out all the musical genres you’ve picked baroque music: how did you come to this choice?
UFO5: I really like baroque music and I think that my work shares many similarities with it, like the importance given to craftsmanship and technical virtuosism.

How did you approach this project?
UFO5: I had to pay particular attention to the study of the location - as it is always the case with window installations. Then I’ve researched for images to inspire me like antique instruments, baroque patterns and paintings of musicians then in made a rough to scale of the installation. The paper was cut in my studio and then transported to Florence, where it was set up in one night. 

That must have been a challenge:
UFO5: Actually the real challenge was to cut large sheets of paper with very intricate patterns and figures without the aid of any support other than the paper itself.

Was there a particular pleasant moment?
UFO5: Once the installation was completed the white sheet that completely covered the window was removed and the people that were passing by stopped and came to look what was happening. That was the very first time I could see the work completed and as you can imagine one thing is to see the work from the inside, as you set it up, one from the viewer’s position. 

Were you happy with the result?
UFO5: Very much indeed - and Florence as setting has definitely helped!