Arch and Art

For Arch and Art – a project by Assolombarda Confindustria Milano Monza e Brianza realized and curated by Domus – Michele De Lucchi designed a “chimney” pavilion to house four pieces in terracotta by Enzo Cucchi.

Chimney flues have something magical about them. It is easy to imagine that hot air rises but it is always a surprise to feel the draught created and rising up by expansion. It is such a simple, pleasant and natural effect that it makes one think that it is possible to enjoy all the marvels of nature without imposing presumptuous acts of force that prove to be expensive and inefficient.

This is a nine-metre-tall chimney, a wind-tower, an unusual smokestack built to house four pieces in terracotta by Enzo Cucchi held up by metal brackets. Its lower section is conical, and the upper part is cylindrical. It creates a portico of three columns pointed at the base. It is not a conventional space. It is not even clear if it is open or closed, whether it exposes or protects. It is a space for reflection, a space containing artwork that stimulates in-depth thinking, a seeking of the meaning of our existence, our permanence and our temporality.

Arch and Art is realized by Domus in collaboration with La Triennale.