The Porcelain Room - Chinese Export Porcelain

Fondazione Prada commissioned Tom Postma Design for the design of the exhibition “The Porcelain Room - Chinese Export Porcelain”, which was on view in the 4th floor of Torre in Milan. The exhibition paid homage to the ancient porcelain rooms of European palaces and aristocratic houses. The design created represents a contemporary interpretation of the porcelain room; a temporary setting in direct dialogue with the permanent architecture by Rem Koolhaas.

The spatial design of the exhibition is divided in 3 sections and conceived as a room within a room. The design comprises of two environments covered in brown velvet including multiple showcases and an intimate space decorated in gold. The three individual spaces exude their own specific ambiance, arising from the desire to recreate that distinct intimate feeling of a porcelain room.

The collection shows the very first commissions of Chinese porcelain by European clients after the arrival of the Portuguese in China. Early Western orders are extremely rare, with only around 150 having survived to the present day. Over 53 pieces are elegantly lit and displayed as if they are floating through darkness. The selection of unique first orders, on loan from the most relevant public and private collections from all over the world, represent the entire array of first orders in terms of typology, iconography, and period of manufacture.

One of the highlights was the golden room, a true contemporary homage to the traditional porcelain rooms, like the iconic Porcelain Cabinet at the Charlottenburg Palace and Santos Palace. The gold-leaf gilded walls are completely covered in porcelain, creating an intimate interplay between the visitor and the collection of more than 1,400 porcelain plates.

The middle section features a wide selection of objects interpreted as natural and surprising forms representing animals, vegetables and fruit tureens, in order to explore the impact and exoticism of Chinese table wares made for Western markets.

The exhibition took place from 30 January 2020 – 10 January 2021 at Fondazione Prada, Milan.