The Only True Protest is Beauty
Fondazione Dries Van Noten
Grand Canal, Venice
Side Gallery is proud to participate in The Only True Protest Is Beauty, now on view at Palazzo Pisani Moretta in Venice. Curated by Dries Van Noten with Geert Bruloot, the presentation explores beauty as a force of provocation, reflection, and transformation, drawing from the words of American songwriter and activist Phil Ochs: “In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.” Here, beauty is understood not as mere aesthetics, but as an intense encounter capable of unsettling and opening space for new perspectives.
Within this framework, Side Gallery presents works by designers Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Virginia Leonard, Hyeokjin Jung, and Xavier Mañosa, whose practices embody craftsmanship as both expression and emotional language. Their works move across design and material experimentation, engaging in a dialogue
that questions conventions and expands the boundaries of contemporary design.
Installed within the historic spaces of Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the presentation unfolds as a sequence of encounters where objects, architecture, and narrative intersect.
In this setting, works converge in relation to one another, drawn together by affinity or held in productive contrast, revealing the human intensity of making.
#sidegallery #fondazionedriesvannoten #venice
The Only True Protest is Beauty
Fondazione Dries Van Noten
Grand Canal, Venice
Side Gallery is proud to participate in The Only True Protest Is Beauty, now on view at Palazzo Pisani Moretta in Venice. Curated by Dries Van Noten with Geert Bruloot, the presentation explores beauty as a force of provocation, reflection, and transformation, drawing from the words of American songwriter and activist Phil Ochs: “In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.” Here, beauty is understood not as mere aesthetics, but as an intense encounter capable of unsettling and opening space for new perspectives.
Within this framework, Side Gallery presents works by designers Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Virginia Leonard, Hyeokjin Jung, and Xavier Mañosa, whose practices embody craftsmanship as both expression and emotional language. Their works move across design and material experimentation, engaging in a dialogue
that questions conventions and expands the boundaries of contemporary design.
Installed within the historic spaces of Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the presentation unfolds as a sequence of encounters where objects, architecture, and narrative intersect.
In this setting, works converge in relation to one another, drawn together by affinity or held in productive contrast, revealing the human intensity of making.
#sidegallery #fondazionedriesvannoten #venice
La @fondazionedriesvannoten ha abierto por fin sus puertas en el Palazzo Pisani Moretta de Venecia con una exposición inaugural que reúne a más de 50 artistas y colaboradores internacionales con más de 200 obras en torno a la artesanía, el arte y el diseño como un mismo territorio de creación, donde la materia hecha a mano se entiende como lenguaje contemporáneo.
Entre los participantes figuran también nombres españoles como el del artista y diseñador @xaviermanosa de @side.gallery , en un conjunto de obras que dialoga directamente con el interiorismo y la arquitectura histórica del palacio.
¡Toda la información en el enlace de la biografía!
Texto: @as4d | Fotografía: @aletimpa
For its presentation at Raritas, Side Gallery explores a dialogue between historical Japanese design and contemporary creative practices, highlighting the enduring relationship between craftsmanship, material sensitivity, and innovation.
By presenting iconic figures of modern Japanese design alongside emerging contemporary voices, the project reflects on the evolution of aesthetics rooted in tradition while remaining open to experimentation.
To expand this narrative, the gallery introduces a selection of Milan-based designers whose practices embody a dynamic and expressive approach to contemporary design. This encounter creates a bridge between two distinct yet complementary cultural landscapes: the refined, process-driven philosophy of Japanese design and the vibrant, forward-thinking energy of Milan.
The presentation ultimately proposes a shared ground where heritage and contemporaneity converge, generating new perspectives through the exchange of ideas, forms, and creative forces.
📸 @jeroenverrecht
#sidegallery #japanesedesign #salonedelmobile #milandesignweek
For its presentation at Raritas, Side Gallery explores a dialogue between historical Japanese design and contemporary creative practices, highlighting the enduring relationship between craftsmanship, material sensitivity, and innovation.
By presenting iconic figures of modern Japanese design alongside emerging contemporary voices, the project reflects on the evolution of aesthetics rooted in tradition while remaining open to experimentation.
To expand this narrative, the gallery introduces a selection of Milan-based designers whose practices embody a dynamic and expressive approach to contemporary design. This encounter creates a bridge between two distinct yet complementary cultural landscapes: the refined, process-driven philosophy of Japanese design and the vibrant, forward-thinking energy of Milan.
The presentation ultimately proposes a shared ground where heritage and contemporaneity converge, generating new perspectives through the exchange of ideas, forms, and creative forces.
📸 @jeroenverrecht
#sidegallery #japanesedesign #salonedelmobile #milandesignweek
For its presentation at Raritas, Side Gallery explores a dialogue between historical Japanese design and contemporary creative practices, highlighting the enduring relationship between craftsmanship, material sensitivity, and innovation.
By presenting iconic figures of modern Japanese design alongside emerging contemporary voices, the project reflects on the evolution of aesthetics rooted in tradition while remaining open to experimentation.
To expand this narrative, the gallery introduces a selection of Milan-based designers whose practices embody a dynamic and expressive approach to contemporary design. This encounter creates a bridge between two distinct yet complementary cultural landscapes: the refined, process-driven philosophy of Japanese design and the vibrant, forward-thinking energy of Milan.
The presentation ultimately proposes a shared ground where heritage and contemporaneity converge, generating new perspectives through the exchange of ideas, forms, and creative forces.
📸 @jeroenverrecht
#sidegallery #japanesedesign #salonedelmobile #milandesignweek
Save the Date
RARITAS
Salone del Mobile Milano 21–26 April 2026
Side Gallery PAD 9. Stand 01
Within the framework of Raritas—a newly launched fair dedicated to collectible design at Salone del Mobile Milano—Side Gallery presents a curated exhibition examining postwar Japanese design of the 1960s, with particular attention to rare and historically significant works by Isamu Kenmochi and Katsuhei Toyoguchi.
The presentation situates these pieces within a broader transhistorical and cross-cultural dialogue, bringing them into relation with contemporary practices.
Conceived as a curatorial narrative, the exhibition traces affinities and tensions, articulating a dialogue between Japan and the vibrant energy of Milan through the practices of Japanese designers such as Kodai Ujie and Thomas Takada, in conversation with Milan-based designers including Conie Vallese, LS Gomma, and Natalia Criado. Through material, form, and process, it reflects on continuity and transformation—where design operates as both cultural artifact and contemporary language.
#SideGallery #SaloneDelMobile #Raritas #JapaneseDesign #MilanDesignWeek
Jorge Zalszupin (1922–2020) was a pivotal figure in the development of Brazilian modernist design. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he emigrated to Brazil in 1946, joining a wave of European intellectuals and designers who contributed to the country’s post-war cultural transformation. In 1954, he founded L’Atelier in São Paulo, a workshop and design studio dedicated to creating handcrafted furniture that combined functional innovation with sculptural elegance.
Zalszupin’s work is distinguished by its rigorous attention to materials and proportion. He mastered the use of rosewood, jacaranda, and other native Brazilian hardwoods, often paired with leather and metal, achieving a balance between durability, comfort, and aesthetic refinement. His designs—chairs, cabinets, tables, and modular systems—demonstrate an architectural approach to furniture, where each piece interacts harmoniously with interior spaces.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Zalszupin’s furniture was widely recognized both in Brazil and internationally. His pieces were exhibited at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro and at design fairs in Paris, helping to establish Brazilian craftsmanship and modernist principles on a global stage.
The archival advertisements presented here provide a rare glimpse into L’Atelier’s early productions. They reveal the studio’s commitment to meticulous craftsmanship and the modernist ideal of functional beauty. Zalszupin’s legacy lies not only in individual objects but in the enduring principles he championed: innovation rooted in tradition, elegance through simplicity, and the capacity of design to enrich everyday life.
#sidegallery #braziliandesign #jorgezalszupin #zalszupin #latelier
Yamaguchi Bank Head Office
by Masachika Endo and furnitures by Isamu Kenmochi
Manufactured by Tendo Mokko
Tokyo, 1965
The Yamaguchi Bank Head Office, completed in 1965, stands as a seminal example of “Japanese Modern” synthesis, where architect Masachika Endo’s structural vision was harmonized with Isamu Kenmochi’s comprehensive interior and furniture design. Kenmochi’s intervention transformed the corporate environment into a space of cultural dialogue, most notably through his collaboration with regional artisans to integrate hand-knotted Wilton carpets within the executive suites and reception halls. This project exemplifies Kenmochi’s pioneering philosophy of “inter-fusion,” meticulously bridging the aesthetic rigor of Western modernism with the tactile depth of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. By utilizing bespoke furniture and textile elements, the design transcends purely functional banking requirements to establish a cohesive architectural identity that remains a touchstone for mid-century Japanese design excellence.
#sidegallery #japanesedesign #japanmodernism #isamukenmochi #yamaguchibankheadoffice
EXTENDED!
JAPANESE DESIGN.
Side Gallery. Barcelona
17 Nov 2025 - 18 Apr 2026
In the decades following World War II, Japan underwent a profound transformation. The rapid economic growth of the 1960s—often called the “Japanese Economic Miracle”—brought modernization, urbanization, and a growing middle class eager to embrace new ways of living. This period was marked by a national effort to rebuild not only the economy and infrastructure but also Japan’s cultural and aesthetic identity within a modern, global context. Design became a vital expression of this renewal, balancing technological progress with a deep respect for craft and tradition.
Within this dynamic environment, Japanese furniture design flourished as a bridge between the old and the new. Designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Junzo Sakakura, Daisaku Choh, Riki Watanabe, Ubunji Kidokoro, or Katsuo Matsumura redefined the domestic landscape through objects that reflected both modern sensibilities and Japanese cultural values. Their work was shaped by the encounter between Western modernism ideas—introduced through contact with European and American design movements—and the principles of mingei, or folk craft, which celebrated the beauty of everyday, handcrafted objects.
By reintroducing these works in the contemporary context, Side Gallery invites a renewed appreciation for a design ethos that remains profoundly relevant today: one that understands simplicity as complexity distilled, and functionality as cultural expression.
📸 @jeroenverrecht
#sidegallery #japanesedesign #isamukenmochi #剣持勇
Conceived in the 1960s by Brazilian designer Jean Gillon, the Jangada Armchair represents a significant exploration of structural expression and material authenticity within the context of Brazilian modern design.
Its denomination evokes the traditional jangadas — artisanal fishing rafts from the northeast of Brazil — whose constructive logic and relationship with the natural environment informed Gillon’s research into tension, suspension, and ergonomic adaptability. The chair’s sculptural wooden framework supports a hand-woven leather seat, articulating a sophisticated balance between craftsmanship and modernist experimentation.
Positioned at the intersection of vernacular references and international modernism, the Jangada reflects broader mid-20th-century debates on identity, regionalism, and the role of design in shaping cultural narratives.
Discover more at
#sidegallery #braziliandesign #jeangillon #jangada #brazilianmodernism
The Neelam Theatre in Chandigarh stands as a powerful reminder of the city’s early modernist vision in post-independence India. Designed by Aditya Prakash, one of the key Indian architects involved in Chandigarh’s development, the building reflects a moment when architecture was seen as a tool for shaping a new national identity.
Emerging in the context of the master plan led by Le Corbusier, the theatre embodies the principles of modernism: geometric clarity, functional organization, and the expressive use of exposed concrete. Its strong horizontal lines, simple volumes, and carefully proportioned façade reveal a disciplined architectural language rooted in structure rather than ornament.
The design responds thoughtfully to climate and urban context. Deep overhangs and shaded areas help mitigate the intense North Indian sun, while the building’s massing creates a clear, monumental presence within the city’s grid. Inside, the spatial layout prioritizes visibility, acoustics, and circulation, reflecting the modernist belief that form must follow function.
More than just a cinema, Neelam Theatre represents an architectural chapter in Chandigarh’s history—where international modern ideas were reinterpreted through a local lens, shaping a cultural landmark that still speaks of optimism, progress, and design integrity.
#SideGallery #Chandigarh #AdityaPrakash #IndianModernism
