Scuola Archivio Leonardi

Scuola
Scuola Archivio Leonardi is an independent school established to disseminate the working methods developed by the architect Cesare Leonardi (Modena, 1935), a multifaceted and little known figure in the contemporary architectural and artistic scene. Over the course of almost 50 year’s activity, Leonardi was involved in architecture, urban design, photography, interior design, sculpture, and painting, working on the border between artistic design and practice. His “transverse” approach was characterized by a capacity to develop unique ideas in different disciplinary spheres, and this represents the cornerstone for the School’s philosophy.

Archivio
The school is led by Archivio Leonardi, an association founded in 2010 by architects and Cesare Leonardi’s former collaborators, dedicated to the protection, cataloguing and divulgation of the works preserved in his home and studio in Modena. The school arises out of a desire that the archive should not simply be a collection of documents but should represent a stimulus for cultural values and design approaches in the areas that Leonardi was involved in. 

Leonardi
Emblematic of Cesare Leonardi’s activities is his 20-year study of trees, carried out with Franca Stagi and published in 1982 in the volume “L’Architettura degli Alberi,” taking concrete shape in the creation of parks and a concept of the city based on a balance between people and nature. Another design example was the fame he achieved for industrial fiberglass furniture in the 1960s and 1970s, with his Dondolo and Nastro chairs. This was followed by a line of modular furniture created for himself in his workshop, the “Solidi Series,” a reaction to a trend that is currently influencing the market and the idea of design itself. 

Programme
The School teaches an annual programme divided into two seasonal modules: one dedicated to Solids in the autumn and one dedicated to Trees in the spring. On different but complimentary scales, they provide participants with a concrete field of application and a potential interpretative key for contemporary design dynamics.

Who it is for
The School targets young students, designers and researchers (preferably between 18 and 35 years old) who want to develop an individual project through a multidisciplinary approach in the fields of architecture, design, artisan manufacture and urban transformation. Participants will develop their individual project engaging with Cesare Leonardi’s work through workshops and the discussion with lecturers.

Venue
The venue is OvestLab, a former crafts-workshop managed by Archivio Leonardi and Associazione Amigdala, located close to the Archivio, in the Villaggio Artigiano Modena Ovest, an artisan district designed in 1953 by Mario Pucci and a symbolic place in the history of the economic and social development of the city. 

How to apply
To apply for selection, fill in the form available on the website and submit your project, implemented or not, concerning craftsmanship and/or landscape by September 16, 2019.

10 selected participants for each module could concretely experience Cesare Leonardi’s method and develop their individual project by relating to its work. 

Module Solids: October 22–January 17 (one week per month)
Module Trees: March 17–June 12 (one week per month)

All candidates will be informed of the selection results by email by September 30.

Information on fees, scholarships and other opportunities offered by the School are published on the website.

For further information write to: info [​at​] archivioleonardi.it

Scuola Archivio Leonardi is a project by Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi and Amigdala
With the support of: Fondazione Unipolis - culturability - MiBAC Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali - Comune di Modena - Ordine Architetti Modena - Fondazione de Mitri - Galleria Antonio Verolino - CivicWise - Slow/d