COS X Phillip K. Smith III: ‘Open Sky’
COS partners with artist Phillip K. Smith III for their seventh instalment on display at Palazzo Isimbardi during Salone del Mobile in Milan.
For the seventh edition of the fashion brand's artistic collaboration hosted during Salone del Mobile, COS partnered up with Phillip K. Smith III at Palazzo Isimbardi to create 'Open Sky', a light and reflection-based art installation, inspired by Renaissance architecture, the Milanese sky and the design aesthetics of COS. Visitors queued around the block to see this year's installation, a design that purposely faces away from the entrance to direct guests around the courtyard for a grand reveal of light and colour.
For the installation in the central courtyard and surrounding gardens of Palazzo Isimbardi, Smith chose to create a work that reflects the Milanese sky. By framing it within mirrors, his pieces capture what would otherwise seem ephemeral - the sky is ever-changing by nature. The view above is brought to the ground, giving it a three-dimensional existence, allowing people to explore it in the same way that they would explore any other artwork.
As visitors walk through the gardens, their attention is caught by the beautiful mirrored sculptures nestled amongst the trees. The multiple angles of the mirrored slats create a mysterious world for viewers to decipher, reflecting the sky but also picking up the surrounding trees, foliage and passers-by. In such a serene Milanese garden, it is beautiful to see such a contrasting abstract form set against the traditional grandeur of Palazzo Isimbardi.