2021 Edition
Wunder Wood 2021 is the University – Enterprise Collaboration Project organised by Fabbro Arredi in collaboration with Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (Milan) and Faculty of Architecture of Ljubljana in designing an objet that draws its inspiration from the the theme “Incògnito Furniture”.
The theme: Incògnito furniture
In natura ignotum …
…designing is a journey, and it is very interesting when that journey becomes one of discovery, and is
recorded as such. Often, the objective of our work is the designed object, but by losing ourselves in the sea
of knowledge, we can rekindle our belief in the new, along with our interest in ourselves and our own work.
The theme of this competition is an adjective: incognito. A theme that is difficult to define, but easily simplified:
the mask. (I know you, mask).
incognito adj., adv., noun [from Lat. incognitus. from in- and cognitus, past part. of cognoscere – to know]. –
- adj. Unknown, unidentified, undercover (generally unknown to a specific person or group of people, rather
than someone of whom absolutely nothing is known).
Montesquieu, the French philosopher, judge, historian and political thinker, had some interesting reflections.
He relates the tale of a journey to Venice in 1728, saying: “A masked costume is not a disguise, but rather,
an incognito. Only rarely does one change one’s clothes, and everyone knows one another”.
Masked carnival costumes were a free pass, with rules and privileges that ensured a freedom of movement
still astonishing to this day.
Masks and costumes feature in every culture, and in order to understand them, we need to analyse them and
familiarise ourselves with them.
Here are some ideas to explore:
The mask is the place of our deepest impulses, and there is nothing simple about it.
Everything is centred on the body, which may be healthy, deformed, alien, mysterious or absent.
The Wild Man, within whom prejudices and legends are dominant.
The mask confronts the creation and continuation of the relationship between the individual and the group.
Over time, it creates rituals.
Freud calls it the uncanny.
Heroes put on and remove their masks.
All that remains for us to do is to imagine a hidden, mysterious piece of furniture that reveals only what it
wishes to convey. Incognito becomes a celebration of all things veiled and concealed.
The wardrobe, as the artist Magritte might have said, can disguise itself as a chair, but it will never be a chair.
di Alfred de Locatelli
The selection and the prize ceremony
A giury composed of
Arch. Alessio Princic – lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture of Ljubljana
Prof Alfred de Locatelli – lecturer at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
Claudio Papa – head of design dept. Accademia di Belle Arti G.B. Tiepolo Udine
Patrizia Moroso – Moroso Art Director
Enzo Santese – art critic, writer and poet
Maria Christina Hamel – designer
Fabbro Arredi, supervisor
selected as the best project
“MAGIC BOX” di Karolina Pavlič e Katja Novak / Faculty of Architecture of Ljubljana
The complement is a mirror that opens to become a writing desk and organisational space. Its clean, timeless shape suits any interior style. Customisable in finishes, colours and dimensions.
Special mention:
Free South Africa Men by Nicole Bianco and Stefania Gilberti
Accademia di Belle Arti Brera – Milano
Dom-I-Know by Nicoletta Pace and Rachele Nolasco
Accademia di Belle Arti Brera – Milano
Multifunctional decorative hanging wall by Žan Kavčič
Faculty of Architecture of Ljubljana
Armonia. L’incognìto del SUONO. by Elena Aleggi, Nadia Chiussi, Ami Patricia Aziazdro, Elisabetta Busolini, Francesca Pravisano
Accademia G.B. Tiepolo – Udine
Wooden Blossom by Tinkara Pavlin and Laura Oblak
Faculty of Architecture of Ljubljana
The Magic Box piece was built by Fabbro Arredi and made its debut the evening of the prize ceremony on the 19th of November 2021.