Molteni&C
Gabriel Tan
Gen Taniguchi
Lisbon Design Week 2025
SHINING A LIGHT.
“Light as a feather, as it flows, as it follows, as it forms”.
For this year’s edition of Lisbon Design Week, the Molteni&C Flagship Store in Lisbon presented a poetic collaboration between Porto-based Singaporean designer Gabriel Tan, and Japanese artist and washi crafstman Gen Taniguchi, owner of Nao Washi, a 300 year-old handmade paper mill from Saga, Japan.
Sustained by Molteni’s constant support for talent in every shape and form, which in itself also shapes and forms what we perceive as the future of Design, Gabriel Tan brought forward his keen eye for scenography by curating an installation of washi lamps designed by his Studio, made in collaboration with Nao Washi, and showcased poetically alongside washi sculptures by Gen Taniguchi.
Playing also with a singular notion of dialogue between two creative forces, and the duality between form and function, the striking installation produced a beautiful setup which puts raw materiality into the spotlight, and the balance, not always linear, between simple and subtle.
The installation of bespoke light pieces and sculptures at the Showroom provided a whimsical conversation between the geometric and angular forms of Molteni furniture, the light as a feather designs of Gabriel Tan, and the textured and poetic art works by Gen Taniguchi.
The light of Lisbon, perceived at different angles as the sun set in, produced an almost cinematic backdrop for a beautiful meeting between Designer and Crafter, having Molteni&C has the special stage where magic happens.
Some encounters need to be seen to be believed, this one proves something which Molteni&C holds dear: to promote the absolute best in creativity, while shining a light on what makes a memory last.