KORE By Salvatori
Marble decorative object / sculpture
2021
Kore is a marble ornament / sculpture.
Salvatori invited a select group of designers to create their idea of home, an expression of their various cultures, backgrounds and outlooks. The result is a fascinating and wonderfully eclectic collection of miniature houses, that, like the global village we inhabit, reflect an extraordinary array of styles and approaches.
Kore is the name given by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola to her pair of contrasting yet complementary houses, in homage to the delicate but majestic statues of Ancient Greece that depict young women on the cusp of adulthood.
Each piece is characterised by clean lines and a deceptively simple form. Alma is a tiny house in Rosa Portogallo marble, with its glorious colouring and veining, while Petra is made from travertine, an evocative and tactile material that epitomises the long tradition of natural stone in architecture and art.
At a glance, you feel the warmth and intimacy of a true home, expressed through these two examples of mini-architecture with their different aesthetic and representation of two contrasting worlds. Part of a virtual, multi-faceted village, at their heart they share a sense of family and the intrinsic fascination of natural stone.
“The Village is a reflection on domestic spaces, something that is more important than ever today. Home has become the centre of our lives, our town or city, our habitat. We have all become domestic navigators, trying to orient ourselves to these new latitudes, ways of living.” – Patricia Urquiola
The Village is inspired by Gabriele Salvatori’s wish to explore the concept of home within the context of today’s global society and reinterpret it through the medium of design, whilst addressing fundamental themes of contemporary living. To recreate the rich and diverse structure of a typical village, we invited a select group of designers from around the world to share their idea of home, each bringing their own inimitable combination of outlooking, culture and background. The result is a fascinating and wonderfully eclectic collection of miniature houses, that, like the global village we inhabit, reflect an extraordinary array of styles and approaches. What links them, however, is the use of natural stone, that enduring and beloved material that has been used since time memorial to construct buildings, art and monuments that provide refuge and inspiration for mankind. From the very first rudimentary dwellings of cavemen and women, it has protected and enveloped us, the very same characteristics we still look for today when we choose our home, our haven. Designers such as Rodolfo Dordoni, Kengo Kuma, Elisa Ossino, John Pawson, Patricia Urquiola, Vincent Van Duysen and Yabu Pushelberg accepted our challenge, each contributing their precious and unique interpretation of the concept of home, expressed in a miniature piece of very special and absolutely original architecture. The Village is a natural continuation of Salvatori’s commitment to reinventing the concept of home décor by developing pieces that express “home” as a holistic experience that touches all our senses and nurtures our soul.
