This publication was created to accompany and document Leonor Antunes’ 2018–19 commission for Pirelli HangarBicocca, for which she created an installation in response to research into the history of Milan, its cultural scene, and the work of Italian architects Franco Albini and Franca Helg.
The format of the publication directly corresponds to that of early issues of Pirelli magazine, and the typographic layouts were inspired by an issue from the early 1950s; sections of glossy paper and coloured inserts within the book further emphasise this connection. Colours used throughout the book were chosen in response to the works within the installation.
Inside, Antunes’ research is given equal prominence with documentation of the exhibition; alongside installation images of her finished works, photography by Heinz Peter Knes is featured throughout. These images, taken at Galliate Lombardo, Settimo Torinese and Lurago d’Erba, provide atmospheric and allusive insights into the research and material development of the installation.
