Calligaris

Design

Concept and visual identity, supervision and coordination, site-specific installations, theatrical performance, Michelin-starred catering, gifts, press and PR, event secretariat, content production.

Calligaris, an icon of Italian design founded in 1923, celebrates its centenary with a project that employs the universal language of art—in various forms—to bridge heritage and future vision, corporate identity and a sense of family.

The project stems from a desire to translate a historic milestone into a contemporary narrative designed to endure, connecting products, people, and corporate identity.

For one evening, the Teatro Giovanni da Udine was transformed into a multimedia, multisensory space. Bathed in light projections and video-mapping displays featuring Calligaris’s signature color, the theater hosted both indoor and outdoor installations—complete with branded coverings and backdrops—and a museum-style exhibition showcasing the company’s iconic chairs alongside emblematic pieces of Italian and international design. A striking installation, created for the occasion by artists from the *Centro Friulano Arti Plastiche*, also took center stage.

The highlight of the evening was an original four-act performance written and directed by Friulian director Massimo Somaglino. Blending drama, music, and dance, the show featured over 50 artists—including Luca Ward—to tell the story of the company’s hundred-year journey and its deep connection to the local region.

Following the performance, the evening continued in the foyer with formal proceedings and an exclusive, informal (standing) dinner prepared by Emanuele Scarello, chef-patron of the Michelin-starred restaurant *Agli Amici*. For the occasion, he created refined, distinctive dishes that celebrated Friulian culinary traditions.
To conclude the festivities, guests received a special commemorative gift: an original, numbered artwork by Maestro Giorgio Celiberti.

Thus, “One Hundred Years of History Looking to the Future”—the event’s title—told the story of Calligaris by weaving together past and future, much like the grandmothers of old once wove rushes to craft the company’s very first chairs. With nearly 1,000 guests—including representatives from institutions, the media, and stakeholder groups—the event generated national visibility and solidified the brand’s positioning through a narrative that was coherent, distinctive, and memorable. A truly red-carpet affair.