gaetano pesce’s ‘maestà soffrente’ displayed in milan’s piazza duomo for design week

‘maestà soffrente’ by gaetano pesce is being exhibited in milan’s piazza duomo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘UP5&6’ produced by B&B italia. the original work by the italian designer and architect highlighted the treatment of women and the disparity between the sexes. the famous object, which itself is reminiscent of the female form, was tied to a spherical footrest, embodying the image of a woman being a prisoner, tied to the prejudice of men. to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic work, piazza duomo hosts the 8 meter high installation during milan design week 2019, created by pesce for the occasion.

image by matteo piazza (also main image)

the work, which literally translates as ‘suffering majesty’ will be situated in prime position in front of the city’s famous cathedral, and will be seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors from all around the globe. the original chair form will have the addition of countless arrows embedded into the surface, highlighting the issue of violence against women. the installation will also see a number of mounted animal heads, created from polystyrene and varnished fiberglass and mounted on an iron trestle. pesce’s ‘maestà soffrente’ was inaugurated on april 7, and will remain on display during milan design week until april 14, 2019.

image by matteo piazza

rendering of the project in piazza duomo

another illustration of the 8-meter-high installation

the collection of objects viewed together

side view in perspective

perspective view

polystyrene heads are mounted on iron trestles

project info:

name: ‘maestà soffrente’
design: gaetano pesce