Design Week in Milan highlights Robert Wilson's perspective on design's significance in everyday life.
Robert Wilson's "Mother" Installation at Salone del Mobile 2025
Renowned artist Robert Wilson is set to unveil his latest immersive installation, "Mother," at the Salone del Mobile 2025 in Milan. The installation will take place at the Museo della Pietà Rondanini within the Castello Sforzesco, and will run from April 8 to May 18, 2025.
Inspired by Michelangelo’s unfinished masterpiece, the Pietà Rondanini, "Mother" aims to create a contemplative experience that explores themes of art, spirituality, light, and space. Wilson's artistic use of light serves as a living presence, emphasizing its emotional depth and its ability to elevate the perception of "home" and spirituality.
The soundtrack accompanying "Mother" features Arvo Pärt’s composition “Stabat Mater,” deepening the thematic reflection on art and spirituality. The installation was the opening project of the 63rd Salone del Mobile.
Wilson's affinity with chair design and theatrical elements is also present in "Mother," though the installation itself centers on the multimedia blend around Michelangelo's theme rather than direct collaborators named specifically for this project beyond the sound by Arvo Pärt.
In addition to "Mother," Wilson is also preparing for a prolific season of opera, exhibition, and fashion show productions. He will develop a new work for the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania, and is likely to make stops in Paris, Berlin, and Tokyo.
The book "Robert Wilson: Chairs," published by August Editions in partnership with New York gallery Raisonné, presents 45 of Wilson's chair designs in chronological order, photographed by Martien Mulder. Many of Wilson's chairs and collected pieces are placed throughout The Watermill Center, a year-round residency program and international summer program established by Wilson on the East End of Long Island in the early 1990s.
The book also features critical texts by Owen Laub, Trevor Fairbrother, and Glenn Adamson, with Adamson contributing the essay "The Shadow of A Doubt." The book debuted in late February to coincide with a dedicated showcase at Raisonné.
In a nod to his chair design work, Raisonné also released 50 limited re-editions of the 1974 'Queen Victoria Café Chair,' a testament to Wilson's enduring influence in the field of design.
[1] Salone del Mobile 2025 Official Website [2] Robert Wilson Official Website [3] Raisonné Gallery
[1] The Salone del Mobile 2025 is not only a platform for showcasing furniture and home design, but also a venue for thought-provoking artistic installations, as attested by Robert Wilson's immersive installation "Mother," which blends fashion-and-beauty elements through the use of Arvo Pärt’s composition “Stabat Mater,” and highlights home-and-garden aesthetics through its exploration of themes of art, spirituality, light, and space.
[2] Aside from "Mother," Robert Wilson is also set to engage in a prolific season of opera, exhibition, and fashion show productions, further showcasing his versatile lifestyle as an artist whose work spans across various mediums, locations, and industries.
