Schön! alive | 1 | mindfulness | out now

Some people collect handbags, while others collect teapots… And, starting today, LOEWE is catering to the latter group, unveiling its 2025 Salone del Mobile collection of LOEWE TEAPOTS on view at the Palazzo Citterio in Milan until April 13th. Commissioning 25 internationally renowned artists, designers, and architects, the Spanish luxury fashion house is putting its dedication to the arts on full display. 

PrevNext

PrevNext

1

2

3

This year marks the brand’s ninth exhibition at Milan Design Week – and allows artists to come together to design a teapot in their own artistic vision. Some artists opted for a more traditional aesthetic; Akio Niisato presents a rounded teapot featuring shallow perforations that allow light to filter through and David Chipperfield contributes a striking teapot in a rich cobalt blue glaze with a copper handle, merging classic design with contemporary appeal. Conversely, the exhibition also embraces maximalism, exemplified by Dan McCarthy’s whimsical hand-sculpted teapots adorned with smiley faces and Jane Yang-D’Haene adds to the eclectic mix with her elongated teapot featuring ribbons of clay that add a sense of movement and fluidity.

In conjunction with the exhibition, an exclusive collection of LOEWE homeware products will be available for purchase at the Palazzo Citterio, including woven leather coasters, tea cosies, and leather bag charms shaped like strawberries, chamomile flowers, bergamot fruits, and tea bags. 

Among the standout pieces are the Galician clay teapots, offered in both a raw and glazed finish. These unique teapots draw inspiration from the intricate ceramic tiles found on the exterior of CASA LOEWE and showcase the craftsmanship of skilled Spanish artisans. Additionally, the collection includes tin-plated tea caddies, each featuring motifs of rabbits, flowers, and mice on their lids. These caddies are created in partnership with Kaikado, a Kyoto-based company famed for its finely crafted tin-plate ‘chazutsu’ tea containers, which are celebrated for their quality and functionality.

Each teapot on display is a testament to the artist’s extraordinary skill, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a vibrant showing of culture and tradition. These teapots not only captivate with their intricate designs and colours but also offer a fascinating glimpse into the diverse tea-making traditions cherished across generations. Each piece tells a story, and in collaboration with LOEWE, reflects the unique heritage and artistry that define its creator.

artists. Laia Arqueros, Sam Bakewell, Lu Bin, Chen Min, David Chipperfield, Minsuk Cho, Tommaso Corvi Mora, Madoda Fani, Simone Fattal, Suna Fujita, Naoto Fukasawa, Inchin Lee, Dan McCarthy, Shozo Michikawa, Akio Niisato, Walter Price, Takayuki Sakiyama, Wang Shu, Rosemarie Trockel, Patricia Urquiola, Edmund de Waal, Rose Wylie, Deng Xiping, Masaomi Yasunaga, + Jane Yang-D’Haene
imagery. Courtesy of LOEWE
words. Amber Louise

Aquazzura is poised to unveil the Aquazzura Bar this month at the prestigious Hotel de Russie, located in the vibrant heart of Rome. Nestled between the picturesque Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, this luxurious Rocco Forte hotel is celebrated for its exceptional service and a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary design elements. 

As the Hotel de Russie marks its 25th anniversary, it seemed the perfect time to join forces with Aquazzura to create a hidden garden that seamlessly melanges the hotel’s renowned hospitality with the brand’s distinctive style. This intimate bar promises to be a coveted retreat, a secret gem that invites those ‘in the know’ to experience its enchanting atmosphere and meticulous attention to detail.

Aquazzura has long been celebrated for its playful and imaginative footwear designs, reinterpreting classic styles with a modern twist. Since its debut in 2012, the brand has flourished, venturing into the world of homeware in 2022 by unveiling its Aquazzura Casa collection during Milan Fashion Week. “I have always been passionate about interiors and hosting. To me, hosting is an act of love – you create an experience for your guests, from the music to the food, to how the table is set. It has always been a dream of mine to translate the world of Aquazzura into a hospitality space.” creative director of Aquazzura Edgardo Osorio notes. 

Upon entering the bar – created by interior design atelier Casa do Passadiço – you are welcomed by light aqua Portuguese tiles embellished with hand-painted lemon trees on the bar and side wall, inviting you into a realm of la dolce vita. Black and white umbrellas and awnings – featuring a green floral pattern hidden on the inside – cultivate an atmosphere of seclusion, as if you have discovered a secret garden, while the azure plush chairs and sofas invite you to stay a while and unwind. The space is enclosed in a deep green trellis, and – along with the potted lemon trees – adds to the intimacy of the hidden courtyard. Backdropped by De Russie’s famous courtyard gardens and the terracotta façades of the hotel, the bar comes to life in front of your eyes. 

The Aquazzura Casa Secret Garden tableware collection serves as the main inspiration behind the design of the bar, infusing it with a sense of whimsy and elegance. The kelly green garden motif – featuring peacocks, butterflies, dragonflies, songbirds, and other flora and fauna – weaves a rich narrative, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a captivating world that celebrates beauty and artistry.

Naturally, the unparalleled service and delicious drinks further elevate the experience. The cocktail menu has been designed by Frederico Pavan and brought to life by Matteo Capezzuoli to revolve around Osorio’s penchant for tequila. Among the standout drinks are a rotating selection of frozen margaritas and the Agave Nero – Osorio’s take on an espresso martini. To complement your drink of choice, Chef Fulvio Pierangelini has created a selection of tapas, all served on the elegant Aquazzura Casa porcelain, adding a touch of sophistication to each bite.

While this is the luxury Italian fashion house’s first foray into hospitality, we hope it won’t be the last. With a keen eye for detail and unmatched craftsmanship that characterizes their fashion designs, we’re excited to see how this endeavour will infuse elegance and sophistication into the hospitality experience.

imagery. Courtesy of Aquazzura
words. Amber Louise

“To dismiss data-driven art would be to overlook a burgeoning and profoundly relevant mode of creativity,” says Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol. “Dismissing data-driven art risks ignoring fresh, vital methods of expression that speak directly to the digital realities that increasingly shape our lives and perceptions.” As more artists continue to explore cyber-technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse, it’s an exciting time to traverse the art market. All is to play for in this limitless realm of visual technology. Through his installations and ‘living sculptures’, Anadol has become a pioneer of digital art, and we were thrilled to speak to him about his immersive art installation as part of the Guggenheim Bilbao’s situ series, which features ambitious, site-specific works by contemporary artists. Named Living Architecture: Gehry, the groundbreaking project exploring the intersections of architecture and modern technology.

Running from March 7th to October 19th, 2025, Living Architecture: Gehry reimagines architect Frank Gehry’s iconic designs through dynamic AI-generated forms. The project is the latest of Anadol’s works challenging the notion that machine intelligence is something distant or impersonal. Rather, it positions AI as an active participant in the artistic process instead of a mere tool. “Data-driven art is not a fleeting trend; it represents a significant evolution in the continuum of artistic expression,” says Anadol. “One that is uniquely positioned to address the complexities of our contemporary world. One that inherently bridges the increasingly artificial divides between technology, art, and science.”

What once seemed far-fetched in an industry that has been slow to accept data-forward art, the partnership between a prestigious institute like the Guggenheim and Anadol is a testament towards the artist’s prevailing talents and an indication that traditional institutions are welcoming digital art with open arms. According to the artist, this was inevitable: “Throughout art history, the embrace of emerging tools has consistently led to paradigm shifts – consider the revolutionary impacts of photography and film, initially met with skepticism, yet now integral to our understanding of art.”

Born in 1929, Frank Gehry was a legendary architect who rose to prominence in the 1970s thanks to his distinctive style of blending everyday materials with complex, dynamic structures. Using the museum’s own archives to explore Gehry’s designs, Anadol built upon his kinship with Gehry’s love for sculptural expression that challenges traditional architectural forms. “I have long been captivated by the organic fluidity of his structures and the profound sense of movement they capture in static material,” he says. “To reimagine his work through the lens of AI felt like a conceptually rich and deeply meaningful dialogue – a meeting point between human artistic ingenuity and algorithmic perception.” Synthesizing these elements into a constantly transforming artwork, Anadol re-envisioned the famous curves and shapes of Gehry’s structures.

A significant feature of this installation is the launch of Anadol’s Large Architecture Model (LAM), a cutting-edge AI model developed by Refik Anadol Studio (RAS). Accompanying this milestone debut is a custom soundscape created by the artist’s long-time collaborator Kerim Karaoglu. “Sound is not merely an accompaniment to my visual installations; it is an intrinsic element, co-constituting the overall sensory experience,” says Anadol. “My collaboration with Kerim Karaoglu was guided by a desire to craft a soundscape that would serve as an auditory echo of both the architectural essence and the subtle emotional atmospheres inherent in the spaces.” 

According to the artist, the sonic composition was intentionally diverse. It was built upon a spectrum of electronic tones and ambient textures, many of which were algorithmically generated through the analysis of architectural blueprints. As well as “the subtle vibrations within structural materials, and even the environmental data surrounding Gehry’s buildings – the city’s hum, the wind’s whisper.” The resulting soundscape is deeply immersive, enveloping the audience through a profound sonic experience that enhances the emotional and intellectual impact of the visuals at play.

Anadol’s approach is not merely about replication but imagination. In previous works like WDCH Dreams (which transformed the archive of the LA Phil into a living, breathing artwork projected onto the iconic façade of Walt Disney Concert Hall) Anadol posed the thought-provoking question: Can buildings learn and dream? 

WDCH Dreams was indeed a pivotal project in my artistic trajectory. It served as a critical “exploration into the latent potential residing within massive archival datasets.” It was during this project that the artist solidified a methodology of harnessing machine learning and real-time data as raw materials of immersive art. The core principles of WDCH Dreams— “taking complex datasets, in this case, architectural data, historical references, and real-time environmental inputs,” is central to Anadol’s practice today. Where WDCH Dreams explored the archive of sound, the Gehry project “delves into the archive of form, pushing the boundaries of data-driven narrative in architectural space.”

It’s part of human nature to constantly advance forward, push against limitations and improve our understanding of the world around us. For Anadol, data-inspired art does all this and more; providing a portal for artists to access its “inherent, often unseen, poetry.” Early on in his career, the artist’s curiosity for the medium “was ignited by the realization that data, in its rawest form, could be alchemically transformed into the very essence of art – the pigment, the texture, the sculptural element.” Using computational tools, particularly machine learning and digital projections, he investigated their potential to “visualize data’s hidden dimensions.” As his practice evolved, Anadol expanded beyond the “confines of purely digital realms”; conceiving data “as a material in itself, capable of shaping physical space and sensory experience.”

This led Anadol to create the large-scale immersive installations or ‘data sculptures’ that have become highlights of major art fairs and exhibitions like Art Basel. As well as being visually mesmerizing, these sculptures liberate a universal artistic need to make the intangible palpable. According to the artist, “these works are designed to transcend the purely visual, translating the often-invisible currents of data – be it environmental, architectural, or cultural – into multi-sensory environments.” Perhaps it’s down to the sculptures’ complex coding, or their magnetic dioramas of colours and shapes, that each installation succeeds in engaging with a broad spectrum of audiences. Through his works, Anadol creates “spaces intended to resonate emotionally and intellectually, inviting audiences to engage with data not as abstract figures, but as tangible, experiential phenomena.” They represent his continuous pursuit “to sculpt with information itself.”

Anadol has embraced architecture’s potential as a chameleonic art form that fluctuates in appearance, structure and biology. “Where conventional forms often dictate a static, finite outcome, digital tools empower me to create works that are inherently dynamic, generative, and responsive,” he explains. “This shift is profound. Instead of producing a singular, immutable object, these digital processes facilitate a state of continuous transformation.” 

Rather than holding fixed identities, Anadol’s structures evolve in real time thanks to the constant influx of data. Through his studio RAS, the artist crafts living, breathing entities that reflect the pulse of their surroundings. “This fluidity offers an entirely new spatial and formal vocabulary,” he says. “One that positions the viewer not as a passive observer of a completed artwork, but as an active participant within an ongoing, evolving experience.”

Perceiving architecture and the natural environment as profound, living archives of human experience and history, Anadol feels both genres are fundamental to his artistic inquiry. Revealing the subtle yet powerful dialogues between the built and natural worlds has inspired the artist to create Dataland, the world’s first Museum of AI Arts opening later this year in Los Angeles. The project encourages viewers to “foster a deeper sense of awareness, empathy, and responsibility towards the spaces we inhabit.”

In a world where technology increasingly shapes our experiences, Anadol’s data-driven artworks open new doors for exploration and expression. “This process is not just about replication or imitation; it’s about pushing the boundaries of architectural expression itself,” he explains. Through this groundbreaking work, Refik Anadol continues to lead the charge in exploring the intersection of AI, architecture, and artistic expression, paving the way for a new era of creative possibilities.

For more information, visit the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’s website or Refik Anadol Studio’s online platforms.

words. Raegan Rubin