Photo © Curiosity ricevuta da Alessandra Reggiani , sua cara amica di quando erano brillanti studentesse . Ricordavamo tutti , in quelle ore , la sua passione e determinazione , il suo grande talento professionale . Barbara Balestreri , affermata lighting designer internazionale , diceva dei suoi progetti , in particolare delle grandi mostre : “ sono sempre una sfida , ma anche un ’ opportunità per confrontarmi con autori e curatori , e con gli stessi artisti ”. E molti sono quelli con cui lei lavorava , come è stato in più occasioni Arnaldo Pomodoro . Ci piace qui ricordare anche un ’ altra sua frase , proprio a proposito del grande artista : “ Pomodoro lavora con la materia concreta . Il mio compito era modellarne una astratta : la luce ”. Per i suoi contrasti armonici di luce artificiale e naturale Barbara trovava molta ispirazione anche nel capolavoro di Kubrick Barry Lyndon . La stessa armonia che c ’ era in lei e che non dimenticheremo , così come siamo certi non farà tutto il mondo della luce . Nel libro di Franco Manzoni Vite milanesi ricordo una frase , che più o meno cito : “ Sono nomi e volti noti e meno noti che nel giorno più triste del calendario se ne vanno , ma che lasciano un segno , spesso indelebile , nella vita e nella storia di molti ”. Quell ’ indimenticabile segno , oggi non solo per il mondo della luce italiana , è quello di Barbara Balestreri . Che lascia il marito Enrico Villa , gli splendidi figli Giorgio e Riccardo , la mamma Tina . Lascia gli amici e le amiche , le colleghe e i colleghi che l ’ hanno conosciuta , amata e stimata come donna , madre , lighting designer . Lascia il mondo della luce , forse incontrerà Kubrick e parleranno di luce e di Barry Lyndon . A tutti noi , nel cuore , l ’ indimenticabile prezioso ricordo della sua raffinata Armonia di luce . In queste pagine nate d ’ incanto in un giorno di grande dolore , in un passaparola tra amici e colleghi , colmo di affetto e tristezza , vogliamo ricordare Barbara Balestreri per tutti .
In memory of Barbara Balestreri Harmony of light
That day , Franco Manzoni - writer , poet and journalist , who for twenty years in his column Addii ( Farewells ), on the pages of the Corriere della Sera , have been remembering the protagonists of the extraordinary and normal mosaic made of stories , of commitment , of work , and of humanity that is our life and the life of the others - wrote about Barbara Balestreri , a designer inspired by light : " Brilliant , determined , brave , she was a designer of light of international fame , appreciated for her stylistic elegance and design concept ". He also wrote more in his heartfelt remembrance ... that Barbara was born in Milan on September 13th , 1965 , and that she graduated in 1989 in industrial architecture at the Politecnico , with a thesis on natural light . That she immediately created a young working group in her studio , in the Buenos Aires area of Milan . That she designed for the FAI several lighting projects for many historical properties , some of which we want to remember in these pages dedicated to Barbara : from Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan to the Monastery of Torba in Castelseprio , from Villa dei Vescovi in Padua to the Biblioteca del Viceré in the Castello di Masino , Turin . And again , in Milan , the projects for the Church of San Marco , the Pomodoro Foundation and the Fontana hall at the Museo del Novecento . Manzoni , in his delicately written reporter ' s note , reminded us that Barbara also took care of the lighting projects for the major fashion brands in the world – such as Armani , Dolce & Gabbana , Céline , Fendi , Givenchy ,
Jimmy Choo , Versace , Berluti – and for large exhibitions in major museums – to mention a few : the admirable ones of Boccioni , Cézanne , Bacon , and Balla at Palazzo Reale in Milan ; Hayez at the Pinacoteca di Brera ; Gastone Novelli , the great works of Arnaldo Pomodoro , the Atto Unico of Jannis Kounellis at the Fondazione Pomodoro in Milan ; Degas , Monet , and Renoir at the GAM of Turin ; Canova at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome . On that day , we received the sad news from Alessandra Reggiani , her dear friend of when they were bright students . We all remembered , in those hours , her passion and determination , and her great professional talent . Barbara Balestreri , a well-known international lighting designer , said of her projects , in particular of the great exhibitions : " they are always a challenge , but also an opportunity to confront myself with authors and curators , and with the artists themselves ." And many are those with whom she worked , as Arnaldo Pomodoro has been on several occasions . We would like to remember another sentence of hers , just about this great artist : " Pomodoro works with the concrete matter . My task was to model an abstract one : light ". For her harmonic contrasts of artificial and natural light , Barbara found much inspiration in Kubrick ' s masterpiece Barry Lyndon . The same harmony that was in her and that we will not forget , and we are sure that neither the whole world of light will . In the book by Franco Manzoni Vite milanesi , I remember a phrase , which I here more or less quote : " These are known and lesser-known names and faces that are gone on the saddest day of the calendar , leaving a mark , often indelible , in the life and in the history of many ." Today , and not only for the Italian lighting world , that unforgettable sign is that of Barbara Balestreri . She leaves her husband Enrico Villa , her wonderful sons Giorgio and Riccardo , and mother Tina . She leaves friends and colleagues who have known her , loved her , and respected her as a woman , mother , lighting designer . She leaves the world of light , and maybe she will meet Kubrick and talk with him about light and Barry Lyndon . To all of us , in our hearts , the unforgettable and precious memory of her refined Harmony of light . In these pages , born in a day of great pain , in a word-of-mouth between friends and colleagues , full of affection and sadness , we want to remember Barbara Balestreri , for everyone .
D & G showroom , Aoyama , Tokyo
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