"Art and design meet in the act of storytelling," say Lake Como-based design duo Draga & Aurel, composed of Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow. The pair's work was on display at Design Miami last week with esteemed interior design purveyor Visionnaire, which cemented its international influence with the fair debut.
The partnership between Visionnaire and Draga & Aurel began five years back with the release of a capsule collection, “Non voglio mica la luna.” At Design Miami, Visionnaire restaged “Narrazioni Intrecciate”—or “Interwoven Narratives”—after showing the Draga & Aurel collection of screens, console, and more at this year's Salone del Mobile. The immersive installation explores Visionnaire's ongoing interest in the lines between art, design, and architecture. It also nods to the combination of Obradovic's background in textiles and Basedow's work in painting.
"Art delves into the emotional, symbolic, and interpretive dimensions, while design brings these insights into the material world, translating them into objects we can touch, use, and live with," says the pair. "In this exhibition, the two realms merge to create a narrative experience: the objects are not just aesthetic but imbued with meaning, like pages of a visual and tactile book."
In Miami, the exhibition was taken one step further with the addition of Basedow’s abstract painting AKB_23_101, which positions the practical objects in conversation with their artistic counterparts. "The textures, colors, and forms in the furniture often echo or contrast with elements in the painting, creating a cohesive yet layered visual story," explain Visionnaire’s Creative Director Eleonore Cavalli and Art Curator Marco Morandini. "This interplay invites viewers to experience the pieces not as separate entities but as parts of a unified artistic vision."
The limited-edition Aries Armchair, for example, maintains a sense of minimalism, while the Muse Screen plays with the varying transparency of printed satin, mimicking movement. The Lego Console further experiments with notions of color and texture, melding marble and metal together in a geometric construction that tricks the eye.
"I hope visitors leave this exhibition with a new awareness of the narrative power of design," note Obradovic and Basedow, echoing Cavalli and Morandini's desire to "elevate furniture to an art form." All the way in Miami, the company aims to give American audiences a demonstration of Italian craftsmanship, mired in the aesthetics of the country's creatives. For those who missed Design Miami, the line will be on view in the city at Visionnaire's local showroom, at 2063 Biscayne Boulevard, this winter. And next spring, West Coast denizens will get a chance to discover the wares as the collection travels to Visionnaire's Los Angeles showroom, at 144 Robertson Boulevard, ahead of Frieze LA. "We’d like [visitors] to see design not just as a practical discipline but as a form of cultural and personal storytelling, capable of weaving complex stories and bringing them to life through materials, forms, and spaces," continue Obradovic and Basedow. "The aim is to inspire reflection on how the objects around us can tell stories and shape the way we see the world."
