RAFFAELLA BANDERA artdesign
KEY THOUGHTS
plastic materials:
"Years ago, in 2003, I was attracted to plastic materials for their modernity and because being relatively new, precise and codified processing techniques did not always exist in the artistic field, and it was not easy to find manuals or art institutes who could teach the techniques: this difficulty, this lack of initial points of reference, turned into a fun challenge and an exploratory journey that gave me feelings of freedom and adventure even though I spent hours working closed in my laboratory. What for many it is a defect of plastic materials, being eternal and indestructible, has instead made them rich in meaning for me when used in the field of artistic design: that is, in the field of use and non-disposable; both when I use "virgin" material, both when the material comes from post-consumer waste. The aesthetic and decorative aspect is important for me, it gives strength to the transformation of a thrown object... into a non-throwable object"
​
ceramic:
"the approach to clay, which occurred in more recent years, was like liberating the infinite possibilities of the material that the materials used previously perhaps limited or rather, directed towards precise paths. Clay with its versatility it gives a real sense of freedom and then...I love putting my hands in the dough, the physical, tangible contact with the earth!.
ecodesign, recycling:
"Re-use, up-cycling, eco design: not only motivated by principles of eco-sustainability but by an ancient and innate sense of recovery and reuse that takes me back to the poverty of my ancestors and the sterile moorland of northern Milan.
My laboratory is a nursing home, everything, in my opinion, can be rehabilitated, finding a new identity thanks to re-location and re-use. And any scar that remains is not a sign of ineffectiveness of the treatment, but rather a trace of the history of the object."
"I favor attention to shapes and aesthetic research but without neglecting ethics: for me the meaning that an object acquires, produced with recycled materials or minimizing energy consumption, is fundamental"
​
industrial design vs unique piece:
"I experience my works as on the border between design, art, contemporary craftsmanship...: in this undefined space my "design" is far from the culture of industrial production and the repetitiveness of products."
​
interactions between different materials:
"The interactions between different materials reflect my great passion for the material to model, reuse, transform, experiment with and with which to "get my hands dirty". The interest in various techniques and materials leads me to use different expressive languages, sometimes fused together to indicate the infinite possibilities of transformation"
​
self-production:
"I found myself in the definition of the phenomenon of self-production given years ago by the journalist Clara Mantica: "It represents a significant niche of Italian design and concerns all those who are protagonists of the entire process, from idea to realization , to the promotion of the product. In the same person coexist the creative, the worker, the researcher, the traveling salesman and often also the photographer and the communicator..." (Interni n.10/2005)"
​
BIO
After graduating in economics from Bocconi University in Milan, she worked for a few years in a consultancy firm and then in a private sector company. In 2004 she left her job and, despite not having an artistic or design school education, moved by a natural curiosity she decided to experiment with the processing of resins and silicone rubbers: starting to self-produce objects in resin and silicone, combined with metals, yarns , glass...Attentive to environmental issues, she often favors the use of waste materials
From 2006 to 2008 with the artists Elisa Bollazzi (Microcollection) and Pino Ceriotti and with the care of the critic Alessandro Castiglioni, she also worked for "Apartment Art"; collective artistic project, that aims to find private citizens willing to open their homes to host a sort of a one-day exhibition in which artists, designers, critics, performers and the public can experience art in a different dimension: familiar, warm and everyday.
Experiments follow one another rapidly over the years, and lately she works almost exclusively with clay, continuing to research possible interactions between ceramics and other materials.
2024
- Milan Design Week: exhibition The Apartment by Artemest Residenza Vignale, Via Enrico Toti 2, Milan 16-21 April
- Milan Design Week Superstudio, via Tortona 27, WE ARE ON THE MOON! independent designers on display curated by Sandra Faggiano. April 16-12
2022
- ESTETICA 3:0 exhibition - METAPHYSICS OF PASTA inaugurated on 16 November, Urban Gallery Space Pescara, Artistic direction of architects Sandra Faggiano and Maurizio Samele, 16 November-30 December
2021
- BAACC Award: The shape of wine Contemporary Ceramic Art Competition, collective exhibition at Scuderie Aldobrandini per l'Arte (Frascati RM) 2-31 October 2021 Contemporary Association
-"1000 Vases" collective exhibition curated by Giulio Cappellini, Superstudio Group Via Tortona 27, Milan. 5-10 September​
- "Sono Tazza di Tè" collective exhibition curated by Anty Pansera, Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano, Via Giorgio Jan 15, Milan. 5-10 September
- "Design Secret District" curated by Caterina Misuraca and Sandra Faggiano, Atelier Natsuko Corso Como 9 Milan 5-10 September
- "20x20x2" collective exhibition curated by Atelier Capricorno, Cocquio (Varese) 19 September - 4 October
2020
- "Art in Open Air" collective exhibition curated by the Rotte Contrarie cultural association, Mulino di Turro di Monvalle (Varese), 6 September
- "Water" collective exhibition curated by Atelier Capricorno, Cocquio (Varese), 20 September - 4 October
2019
-"Christmas Gift" curated by Food Design Stories, Showroom Kitchen Via De Amicis 45, Milan, 27 November-6 January 2020
- "Winter Gardens" collective exhibition curated by Atelier Capricorno, Cocquio (va) 7-22 December 2020
2014
-"Design Off Site" for 5 vie art+design, curated by Laura Agnoletto, MISIAD, Milan Design Week 8-13 April 2014 Milan
- "Fashion passes, critical fashion sow" collective exhibition Palazzo Isimbardi Corso Monforte 35 Milan 21-23 February 2014 curated by Caterina Misuraca and Paola Sammarro
- "Woman is Art" collective exhibition curated by Giovanna Massironi and Elisa Bollazzi, director of the Microcollection Museum, with an ART SEMINATION of fragments of works by artists including China Rose, 2008 by Raffella Bandera, "Tante Cose" exhibition center ", Busto Arsizio 1-7 March
- "PLA.Idee in plastic" collective exhibition _Galleria Spazio 70mq_Livorno, 30 November-21 December 2013 Livorno, Studio 70mq, Via Poggiali 10
2012
- exhibition in the spaces of BAFF (Busto Arsizio Film Festival) 2012, curated by Bettina Grampa, Busto Arsizio, 24-31 March 2012
- “Self-production in Milan 202 authors introduce themselves” dedicated to the first CENSUS OF SELF-PRODUCERS in Milan edited by Alessandro Mendini – Fabbrica del Vapore, Via Procaccini 4- 20154, Milan Design Week 17-22 April 2012
- teacher in a creative workshop held as part of the "Natura Donna Impresa" event by C. Misuraca and P. Samarro on the occasion of "Do the right thing!" FieraMilanoCity, 31 March 2012​
- "Tutti sopra la coperta" event curated by Marilena Bertolli and Maria Elena Danelli, Castello Cabiaglio, Varese Saturday 18 August 2012
- "VA-Ri-Usato" Villa "La Valera" Arese (MI) 24-25 March curated by Enrico Casmirri
- finalist of the competition “Where plastic is… art” curated by Manuela Ciriacono, Dialoga Arte for Polibend Group, May 2012
2011
-"Home Gallery" Raffaella Bandera's home-studio, open for a day to eleven other artists, becoming an exhibition gallery, with the collaboration of Manuela Martines, Miriam Broggini and Pino Ceriotti, 3 December 2011.
- creation of creative workshops for children "Among the stilts in the park we find...prehistoric pop jewellery", held at the Ticino Park Center (former Austro-Hungarian Customs) Lonate Pozzolo, Tornavento hamlet, September-October 2011
- "Circo delle Pulci", curated by Fabbrica Del Vapore and Madeinart Via Procaccini 4, Milan, 25 September
- "Spring Hours", Milan Design Week, exhibition-event Spazio Asti, Via Asti 17, Milan; from 14 to 16 April,
- exhibition as part of "A casa - Salon of furnishings and ideas for the home" at Malpensa Fiere, Busto Arsizio, 18, 19 and 20 March
-“Designer Creations” exhibition in the Macef area dedicated to design; 27-30 January 2011, Fieramilano RHO-Pero.
2010
-“I don't wanna be like you!”. Exhibition-event to bring together new languages ​​of design, ecodesign, art and photography. Curated by Caterina Misuraca and Paola Sammarro.10-11 December, Spazio Riva Viva, via Porro Lambertenghi 18, Milan (Isola district)..
- “Artisticamente”: 5th Exhibition of Modern and Quality Artistic Craftsmanship, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November; Villa Corvini, Parabiago (MI)
- “Carrousel” Self-production, research and aesthetic taste curated by Michela Muroni, 18/19 December ZonaK via Spalato 11 Milan (Isola district).
- “Ecopink”: second edition, exhibition dedicated to the themes of sustainable development and female entrepreneurship curated by Linda Schailon, Caterina Misuraca and Paola Sammarro. Spazio Asti, Via private Asti 17, Milan 25-30 November 2010
- "ECO beach day", 15 June 2010; Event at Altamarea beach village Cattolica, RI. Exhibition of works and parade of totally eco-sustainable fashion accessories and design objects. Event curated by Caterina Misuraca and Paola Sammarro with the patronage of the municipality of Cattolica-APT Rimini.
-“Riciclarti 2010” Ex Slaughterhouse Environmental Art Construction Site, collective exhibition, from 27 May to 27 June, Padua, via Cornaro 1.
- "Waiting flowerbed" collective exhibition curated by Elisa Bollazzi, director of the Microcollection Museum. A fragment of my work China Rose has been be sown in the internal courtyard of the Visconti Castle of Jerago (VA), 24 and 25 April.
-“Artparty” Art Architecture Photography Literature. SFERICA 2010. Collective exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Varese - Masnago Castle 10 April-6 June 2010.
-“WASTE ON EXHIBITION” collective exhibition, Avellino, Bourbon Prison. 10 -25 April 2010.
- “Atelier Intrecci creative” exhibition as part of “Abilmente” Fiera di Vicenza, from 4 to 7 March 2010.
2009
- “Passion and Matter”: painting and design. Sala Nicolini, Via Nicolini 2 VARESE. November 28 - December 20, 2009.
-“Ecopink”: ecology and femininity: 11 December, from 6pm to 11pm Spazioloft, via Bergonzoli 3, MILAN
- collective exhibition. Maffy's Gallery, Gallarate (Varese), Via Felice Bassetti 2/a (21013) Crenna, 9 September-5 October.
- Tourbillon, event and exhibition at the temprary store 01, Viale Regina Giovanna 24 Milan, 17 April-17 June.
- Knit Human, workshop curated by Denise Bonaparte and collective exhibition of the works as part of the “Diritto Rovescio” exhibition, La Triennale di Milano, March 2009.
2008
- Apartment Art 6: Art and design enter private homes for a day; Solbiate Arno, (Varese) 22 November.
- Verona, Abitare Il Tempo, international furniture days, in collaboration with Teknai Resine, 18-22 September.
- Apartment Art 5: Art enters university residences for a day. Presentation of the “PRESSED DESIGN” project within the conference “Les Energies Propres" PAU, (France) at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2008- 25 April.
- Apartment Art 4: Art enters private homes for a day; on 19-04: C.so Buenos Aires 20, MILAN on 20-04 in Via Arese 7, Milan 19 and 20 April,
- Fiberglass, training course, NABA, Milan, February-June.
- MADE EXPO (Milan Architecture Design Building). Milan Fair, Rho; in collaboration with Teknai Resine - from 5 to 9 February.
2007
- "Energ_etica" Collective exhibition, Milan, AEM Casa dell'Energia. 5 -10 December.
- "Decorative Arts and Design" collective exhibition, Villa Porro, Lonate Pozzolo (Varese) - 25 November.
- "The shape of desire": Exhibition of jewels and design.Ville Ponti, Varese - 17 and 18 November.
- Apartment Art n.3 - Ternate (Varese) - 22 September
- Jewelery and metalwork. Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, training course, July.
- Energ_etica: product-lighting-design-aware workshop. BaseB.Metriquadricreativi, Bovisa Area Cultural Association, Milan 30 May-9 June.
- Apartment Art 2. Legnano (Milan) - 16 June, curated by Elisa Bollazzi, Raffaella Bandera, Pino Ceriotti
- Design and decorative arts in the Villa. Villa Porro Lonate Pozzolo (Varese) - 25 March.
2006
- Apartment Art n.1. Busto Arsizio 18 November
- Biblioteche aperte. Collective exhibition at the Municipal Library of Laveno Mombello - Villa Frua 25 March - 21 April.
​