EDIT CULT – how to enhance the iconic landmarks of the city of Naples

This unique event has successfully brought the design community to a city known for many virtues but had yet to showcase its design essence. EDIT CULT is undoubtedly the crown jewel of this initiative. This itinerary will weave through the city, featuring a series of exhibitions and installations that explore design creativity while enhancing some of Naples’ most iconic locations. EDIT Napoli deserves a great credit for creating a much-needed platform that celebrates every aspect of design, attracting a highly qualified audience of both exhibitors and visitors.

Each year, the curators – Domitilla Dardi and Emilia Petruccelli – create a dialogue between historic sites and contemporary projects, crafting a collective narrative that spans the city. Their aim is to develop a unique exhibition concept for each design show, perfectly tailored to the synergy between the architectural setting and the displayed works/products.

EDIT Napoli’s sixth edition features a notable collaboration with Cassina, a historic company founded in Meda in 1927. Known for revolutionizing 1950s Italy by shifting from artisanal to serial production, Cassina will be a highlight of the EDIT CULT 2024 program at Palazzo Reale.

The exhibit pays tribute to Neapolitan architect and designer Filippo Alison, who created the famous Cassina iMaestri Collection in 1973, reissuing modernist furniture. Teatro di Corte, designed by Ferdinando Fuga in 1768, will showcase Alison’s research on Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s furniture, including the iconic Hill House 1 chair and Willow 1 armchair, linking Naples to international design.

ALPI, a leader in reconstituted wood decorative surfaces, will celebrate 40 years in design with a retrospective at the Real Museo Mineralogico. The exhibition will feature special projects by international designers like Konstantin Grcic, Angelo Mangiarotti, and Alessandro Mendini, whose works will harmonize with the museum’s mineral collections.

Returning to EDIT Napoli, Allegra Hicks will present a project inspired by Neapolitan legends. Her work focuses on the myth of the siren Parthenope and the egg she laid, believed to be hidden in Castel dell’Ovo’s foundations. Displayed at the Ipogeo dei Cristallini in the Sanità-Vergini district, Hicks’ piece, like the mythical egg, will be placed underground, symbolizing the fragility and preservation of beauty.

Over the coming weeks, EDIT Napoli (read more about the event here) will be announcing the complete EDIT CULT 2024 programme and its main players.