In search of imperfection: the vision behind Imperfettolab’s craft

Founded in 1997, Imperfettolab is a workshop, a gallery, and a family united by the purpose of bringing to life sculptural objects that exist in the space between art and design. With a meticulous artisanal approach, Imperfettolab creates pieces that defy industrial norms, rigid schemes, and the urge to conform. Instead, each object embraces subtle imperfections, micro-fractures, and contrasts that make it truly unique and unrepeatable.

This year, the atelier embraced the stage of Milan Design Week with a series of exhibitions that unfolded a cohesive narrative across the city, from the Salone del Mobile fair to the Naviglio Grande, and all the way to the Brera Design District.

We spoke with Verter Turroni, founder and designer of Imperfettolab, to gain deeper insight into their artistic vision, their Milan Design Week experience, and their ongoing journey toward the beauty of imperfection.

What is Imperfettolab, and how did it come to life?

Verter Turroni:

Imperfettolab is a workshop, a gallery, but above all, it is a place where creation intertwines with everyday life. Born among the hills of Romagna, in a landscape of silence, earth, and ancient gestures, it stems from the desire to shape objects that go beyond mere functionality—objects that can inhabit a space in a poetic, evocative way.

From the very beginning, we have combined craftsmanship with a sculptural vision, choosing an independent artisanal approach free from industrial constraints. Imperfettolab is also a family: each person, according to their own inclinations, takes part in a continuous, shared creative process that naturally renews itself every day.

Imperfettolab’s creations seem to possess a life of their own, almost independent from their function as objects. Sculptural pieces, each “perfect on its own, in its unique and hypnotic beauty.” In your opinion, what are the key elements that give your works such a powerful expressive character?

Verter Turroni:

I believe that the expressive power of our works comes largely from the gesture. Each piece begins with an intuition, but it is the hand that guides it, slows it down, shapes it. It is the asymmetries, the voids, the imperfections—those elements we are usually inclined to correct—that give our objects their identity. They do not seek approval, nor are they replicable in the traditional sense: they are unique, and this uniqueness is what makes them alive.

Your works have a complex soul and inhabit multiple realms. They speak not only to the world of design, but also to that of art and collecting. Does it still make sense to draw a clear line between these three domains?

Verter Turroni:

Our artistic education, developed at the Academy of Fine Arts, gave us the tools to recognize when an object is simply an object, and when it becomes a work of art. We’ve cultivated an awareness that guides our work and allows us to move consciously between different languages. When working with art, there’s no need to chase beauty directly—it’s something that may emerge, but it’s never an imposed goal. We don’t think of our creations strictly as “art” or “design,” but as expressions of a “living” research, capable of engaging with the present and leaving a trace.

What does it mean for you to create “slow” objects—crafted, intricate forms—in a world that favors automation and serial production?

Verter Turroni:

For us, it means staying true to a way of working that belongs to us.
It is our natural rhythm. It is through working with our hands, through repeated and physical gestures, that thought takes shape. The hands connect to the mind and translate it into matter. It is in this ongoing dialogue between body and idea that the authenticity of our creations resides. An object comes into being when it has something to say.

Embracing imperfection is your signature. It’s your name, your creative process, and the essence you elevate to the status of art. What is, for you, the added value of imperfection in your work? Why is it so important?

Verter Turroni:

In a world that tends to smooth everything out to make it uniform, we choose to highlight the fractures, the edges, the dissonances. Imperfection reminds us that each piece is unique, that beauty is not an absolute idea, but a shifting, personal, intimate condition. It is a form of freedom.

A year ago, you inaugurated Imperfettogallery, a space that complements your workshop in many ways. What was the vision behind the gallery? What kind of dialogue were you hoping to initiate with the city?

Verter Turroni:

Imperfettogallery was born as a natural evolution of our journey.
We’ve never followed trends—for us, work has always been an authentic way to feel at home. Choosing to open the gallery in a place far from the more predictable circuits was a conscious decision, aligned with our creative vision that favors lateral paths.

From the moment we first stepped into the space, we immediately felt it belonged to us: a place capable of welcoming us and becoming fertile ground for meeting like-minded people, with whom to share visions, sensibilities, and deep listening. Here, we cultivate relationships built on genuine connections, making this space a place of authentic exchange with the city. Imperfettogallery aims to be a living part of Milan—an oasis of slowness within the often hectic pace of the city, where art and design intersect without losing their soul.

Milan is often perceived as a jungle—a city where it’s easy to feel small, yet where standing out seems almost like an obligation. What has been the biggest challenge for you since opening the gallery? And how has the Milanese audience responded so far?

Verter Turroni:

Staying true to ourselves, without being swept away by the city’s frantic pace, is what has allowed us to remain authentic. We brought our “lateral” perspective with us, choosing to open along the Naviglio—a lively, well-traveled place, yet still able to preserve a more intimate and reflective dimension. A setting that resonates with our way of working. The Milanese public has responded with great sensitivity.
Those who enter the gallery do so not only to observe, but to step into our world.

This year, you took part in Milano Design Week through several initiatives spread between the Fuorisalone and the Salone del Mobile. Did you notice a significant difference between the atmosphere at the fair and in the city?

Verter Turroni:

Yes, they are two very different contexts. The Salone is more connected to the commercial dimension, but even there, we strive to remain true to our language, presenting installations that invite contemplation. For the 2025 edition, we’ve created a two-part journey—between identity and intimacy—designed to engage visitors in a deeper experience.

The Fuorisalone, on the other hand, allows for a freer, more relational kind of storytelling. It’s a time when the city opens up, and we can showcase our work in spaces that reflect who we are, where the experience becomes immersive and authentic. To mark the first anniversary of Imperfettogallery on the Naviglio Grande, we’ve launched new editions of our Sodalizi Temporanei: projects that weave together different disciplines and sensibilities, expanding our vision through collaborations that enrich both the space and our dialogue with the city.

By activating multiple interventions across different venues, you seem to have woven a dense narrative fabric connecting various stories. How did your exhibitions across the city communicate with each other? Was there a shared narrative intention behind them?

Verter Turroni:

Each venue of our installation was conceived as a chapter in a broader story.
It wasn’t simply a scattered exhibition, but the construction of a coherent narrative fabric, where the works—though varied in language and context—engaged in dialogue through an invisible thread made of memory.

Each space offered a different perspective, yet always within a shared vision that combined aesthetics, introspection, and a relationship with the surrounding environment. The narrative intention was clear: to shape an experience that was not fragmented, but deeply connected—capable of guiding the visitor through different places, atmospheres, and meanings in constant dialogue.

In essence, all the exhibitions, despite their uniqueness, communicated with one another as parts of a single collective narrative, where each intervention contributed to building a coherent, profound, and expansive experience.

What does the future hold for Imperfettolab? Are you already working on new projects or collections?

Verter Turroni:

The future of Imperfettolab moves in the direction of continuity and exploration.
We are already working on new projects and collections, with the intention of further deepening our material and formal language—exploring new expressive possibilities while never losing the connection to our original identity.