Carlo, Tobia and Afra Scarpa
Three names that identify a set of research activities designed today to approach the world of art and, in particular, the world of architecture, offering tools for understanding the meaning of the changes that characterise contemporary culture in its various manifestations.
In the idea of Ca’ Scarpa, the ability to design – that is, to find solutions to the most varied problems – combined with the visionary power that a mind trained in art can express, will be decisive in facing a future full of challenges.
In the orbit of the Benetton Foundation, the intention is thus to make a contribution to forming thoughts, stimulating research, and refining tools for analysis and work in three specific areas, connected to the cultural legacy and stimuli coming from these figures.
Art and architecture. The International Garden Prize, named after Carlo Scarpa, and the presence and work of his son Tobia in the life of the Benetton Foundation make the Scarpas decisive figures in the history and growth of the Foundation.
The Scarpas’ mark is visible everywhere, including in the Foundation’s buildings, almost all of which have been restored by Tobia, from the two buildings in the Via Cornarotta headquarters to the more recent work on the church of San Teonisto and Ca’ Scarpa.
Art and architecture are an integral part of a cultural programme consisting of exhibitions, conferences, workshops, both in-person and online.
Design. The names of Carlo, Tobia and Afra Scarpa are also linked to the world of design. There are many everyday objects they have designed and made with different materials, some difficult to handle such as Murano blown glass, others the result of real experiments. They have collaborated with numerous companies, from Gavina to Flos, from Cassina to Venini, B&B, Molteni, Unifor, Knoll and many others. Made in Italy, and therefore the taste and fame of Italian design, also owes part of its success to the Scarpas.
Archives, stories, books and documents. Fondazione Benetton promotes and stimulates research into the work of Carlo, Tobia and Afra Scarpa, making available knowledge, spaces and, above all, material – in the form of books and documents – which will form an archive accessible online.
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