Debuting at Università degli Studi di Milano in Milan for Salone from 15th – 28th April, Karim Kassar’s sensory showcase celebrates the complexities of human existence. Annabel Karim Kassar, the renowned French-Lebanese architect and designer, is set to present her latest creation, Travelling, which will take up residence in Milan this Spring for Salone del Mobile from 15th – 28th April 2024.
SALONE DEL MOBILE
The sensory installation defies conventional notions of architecture, inviting visitors to journey through seven distinct human experiences uniting the sensual with the spiritual. Inspired by the belief that buildings are not mere structures but instead transcendent pathways for exploration infused with light, colour and emotion; Travelling courts visitors on a cinematic voyage of self-discovery where each visitor will find their own destination.
The installation takes shape as a black Bauhaus structure adorned with a translucent stained-glass wall resembling medieval glass storyboards, showcasing fifty evocative images of human emotions and moments of life handpainted by Kassar, enhancing the sense of mystery and exploration. The sketched figures appear to dance across the white floor of the installation, casting an illuminating spectacle that shape-shifts throughout the day as the shade and shadows change. Crafted from steel tubing and timber, and cocooned by a burnished copper aluminum roof, the structure hosts an organic timber interior that alludes to a mysterious human intervention in time and space.
Travelling will house a dedicated space for creativity, where Kassar will be hosting live painting during select hours, reminiscent of Le Mystère Picasso, the remarkable documentary film made by French director, Henri-Georges Clouzot, which features stop-action and time-lapse photography to capture Picasso at work. Breathing new life into the rules of architectural design, Travelling will be open for visitation from 15th – 28th April 2024 at Università degli Studi di Milano, via Festa del Perdono 7, as part of Interni’s 2024 Cross Vision exhibition.
Annabel Karim Kassar’s architectural practice, AKK, was founded in Beirut in 1994. At the end of the Lebanese civil war, AKK was declared joint winner of an international competition to rebuild The Souks, the traditional marketplace at the heart of old Beirut. Kassar’s architecture combines a modernist vocabulary with the detailed craftsmanship and aesthetic of traditional Arab, Berber and Ottoman culture. Her career has been devoted to exploring the frontier between eastern and western design in a series of major building projects across North America, the Levant, and the Gulf. Kassar believes that the emotional, humanistic approach to designing interior spaces found in traditional cultures still has much to teach the modern world. Her unique furniture designs also combine oriental craft and colour with a contemporary aesthetic.
