On the ocassion of the show of Alberto Manfredi, I was fortunate to be able to pay a visit of the house of Nicola and Caterina, which has undergone transformation since my last visit.

An old article I wrote quite sometime ago about their living space was also relocated, hence this short sequence of the original article in Chinese.

The following translation was done by me in 2018. I did not realise that Nicola and Caterina had not got a copy of the article in translation.

My apologies for such oversight.

As a matter of fact, it is not easy to be a foreign correspondent from Italy since most people who I interview do not read Chinese, and would usually be interested to have copies of my articles also in Italian version.

Special from Italy, Modern Home, Hong Kong, April issue 2009 ( or perhaps it is a reprinted version - if I remember correctly, it was an article written some years earlier since I ceased to have contact with the magazine from 2006 . My recent contact with the magazine happened only in 2016, though only over the phone. Over the past years, perhaps in 2008, I had sent greetings to Cecile the editor during Festive time. In the summer of 2017, I met with Cecile over breakfast at Landmark, Hong Kong, where she handed the many articles I wrote for MH during the year 2005-6. Thank you, Cecile. Due to persecution I experienced in my little town, I ended up throwing away all my articles. Apparently I was not allowed to be a writer, nor a painter, least of all a journalist whose voice might give the bad guys problems) If I were wrong about the date , please accept my apologies since the tragic experience I had for some reasons encouraged me to forget most trivial matter, if I could put it this way.

( New observation regarding the article: on the occasional visit of Cecile the chief editor of Modern Home in Italy - 2018 , we managed to sort out the mystery regarding the 2009 article/ April issue problem. As a matter of fact, this article was written in 2004 and published in September . Mistaking 2009 for 2004 was due to the graphic interpretation on the cover:

MODERN HOME 09 04

09 comes before 04 where 04 is seen less pronounced ( a smaller font), hence giving the impression : 04 means April whereas the bigger font 09 means 2009 .)

Observation dated 25/04/2018 Italy

Art is everywhere 

Italian Artistic Family , the living space of Manfredi

Text and photo by Kam Fu PISAPIA

( alias Bernadette Kam Fu Lee )

Reggio Emilia is situated between Venice and Florence, the Emilians , no doubt then, are people who know about quality of life; the philosophy of what constitutes quality living, either in eating or in living.

The family Manfredi, a family whose high standard of living is expressed especially in the arena of Art. This interview is conducted in order to get a glimpse of the Villa inhabited by the family Manfredi, whose interest in Art is the main attitude with which their quality life style is thereby enhanced.

High quality life style

High quality life style begins when one is young, such is the attitude adopted by the people of this town. Perhaps in a way, this explains why the best kindergarten is said to be found here. Specialists have more than once claimed: the happiest children in the world were born here. The Emilians believe if children are given the highest freedom, they will in turn realize their full potential, being creative to the greatest extent. And once grown up, are able to push to the limits all the possibilities that life has to offer and thereby become ones whose love for high quality life style as something almost inborn and natural.

The family of Manfredi is one whose taste for a quality life style is strictly related to their love for Art. Art is used as a bridge to positively transform one’s life. Beginning from Alberto Manfredi, the famous Italian printmaker who is the head of the family, all the family members are fervent collectors of artworks. A handmade publishing art book company in the C16th style of Gutenberg was found some years ago. Apart from being artists, therefore, the family Manfredi also promotes and produces handmade books in limited editions.

How Art transforms one’s inhabited place

So it is not difficult to imagine, therefore, that the family actually uses Art pieces as the principle way of weaving their living space.

This visit to the house inhabited by the son and daughter of Alberto Manfredi is an attempt to illustrate how Art is used as a design element in order to enhance one’s  quality of life.

The two storeyed Villa , dated in the 50’s is situated in the Centre of the town, with a rare garden. 

Caterina lives on the top floor, where Nicola lives on the first. The ground floor is used as a common area for both families. 

As one enters the door, one almost mistakes the long corridor hung with numerous works for an art gallery.

“Artworks of my father, “ Nicola happily confirms.

Staircase as Gallery

As a matter of fact, going up the staircase is like having a chance to view a personal show of Alberto Manfredi in a progressive manner, a special experience for the eyes. Attractive pink tiles are used to floor the whole staircase. With natural light that filters through the space, the atmosphere is pleasant and soothing.

‘ this type of tiles is called marmetta, an easily maintainable tile’, explained Beatrice, 

Nicola’s wife. It has been used often in the fifties. In order to pay respect to the year the Villa was built, they have decided to keep the marmetta.

Beatrice leads me to the various areas where the marmetta is used and how some of the pattern of the tiles vary. ‘ the checker pattern in the bathroom is actually the original pattern’, says Beatrice.

The luminous quality of the tiles, with its pretty and warm pink , is attractive. But I could not help but keep looking at the beautiful art show elegantly placed on the wall.

How to choose the display

‘Quite simple, apart from our own collection, many art pieces were printed by me, ‘ explains Nicola. A printmaker and an artist, Nicola has personally printed important art pieces for famous artists , including works by Matisse, Maccari, Tolouse Lautrec, Fingentein, Gromarie etc.

Naturally, quite a number of art pieces by his father Alberto Manfredi are shown in the living room. A number of very fine linocut prints of animals by the artist are placed above the fireplace .

‘I love the fireplace, and am keen on keeping this special corner intimate and warm, with our favorite art pieces,’ explains Beatrice.

Giving animals unlimited living space

Apart from their love for art with illustrated animals, both Nicola and Beatrice are animal lovers. Beatrice is a veterinarian, and is in love with all kinds of animals. They have a dog, a cat ( who stay in the house ), and  four birds, three chicken, four tortoises which they keep in the garden.

‘The whole house is open for all of them to come and go, so they have maximum liberty ‘, comment both Nicola and Beatrice.

Orfeo, their son , is also given the fullest freedom. Little Orfeo is given the freedom to choose which art piece to decorate his own room. Perhaps artistic genes are not only inborn, but are also influenced by how one is nurtured environmentally.

Surrounding artworks to heighten aesthetic sense of the child

No wonder why Nicola surrounds every corner with artworks, a method to fully

influence the child’s natural sense of aesthetic. Being in touch constantly with good quality art, the child will grow with a confidence, assimilating quality of creativity naturally. He will grow up having the gift of high potential of creativity, for whatever task he chooses to achieve.

Perhaps this is the very reason why living in artistic Italy, one seems to feel more inspired . Too many high quality artwork are outside as well as inside, one inevitably is bound to realize how creativity can truly transform the quality of life.

Apart from artworks, both Nicola and Beatrice also love to collect primitive African Art. One of the most interesting collections are the African combs displayed in the bathroom, adding to the space a delightful touch.

The theatrical space of Caterina

If the use of space for Nicola is to allow the potential artistic development of his son to come in full force, the use of space for Caterina is only a way to express her own spiritual expression in terms of theatre.

Her love for private arenas inspires her to keep her attic into one space with different height, like a theatre with a platform.

Life is but a Theatre, this is how one feels when one enters this theatrical space.

‘The life size puppets are from Burma, ‘ says Caterina, ‘ but the interesting thing is, I bought them long before I turned this space into theatre ‘.

But why such an interesting idea of a theatrical space?

‘Just in order to place a huge Christmas tree every year, ‘ excitedly explains Caterina, like a little girl.

The dream of Caterina

Looking at Caterina who stands right next to the long table, where the original prints of Chagall are framed behind her, I, all of a sudden, came to realize one 

possibility; that the dream of Chagall is the dream of Caterina. No wonder why she loves the huge Christmas tree idea which has the same kind of Chagall dreamy quality.

Walking upon the stage of Caterina, it is as if we have entered the intimate world of Caterina.

‘ this is where I read, listen to music, play the piano,’ Caterina says, ‘ a space where I truly relax myself’.

Selected notes on photos:

A photo of the attic studio of artist Alberto Manfredi. The natural light which comes from above is Parisian in mood.

The artist studio will soon turn into a museum.

Extra note in 2018

Time flies since my last visit , perhaps when Orfeo was just couple years old. Now he is a grown up boy of eighteen. Guess what interests Orfeo who grew up in such an artistic environment?

Music.

Orfeo is going to be a musician. He is very dedicated and sure about his love for music.

Congratulations!

And thank you again for the hospitality shown to us at Reggio Emilia.

Thank you

Bernadette