“The entire Arte Povera movement just really spoke to me. Same as Superstudio and the exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape”, reveals Stipe, tracing the diverse roots of his expressive journey, including MoMA’s groundbreaking 1972 showcase of Italian design in New York. “I also adore great graphic design and am convinced that’s the direction I would have moved in had music not taken over when i was a teenager. Karel Martens is a favorite of mine. He recently did a collaboration with a towel manufacturer, which I bought as a gift for my sister and brother-in-law this year!” Stipe seamlessly blends private and public life in his narratives. Upstairs at the Milan exhibition, portraits in various forms (photographic, graphic, or cast in clay pots) of friends, muses, and heroes, such as Tilda Swinton, artist-filmmaker Sam Taylor Wood Johnson, and the unforgettable Michael Hutchence of INXS, coexist. It’s a banquet of creative celebrities, with Stipe playing the roles of both host and crasher. Let me clarify: the exhibition pulses with the restless energy of this music legend, who, despite mingling with artists of all kinds (Patti Smith is a favorite), exudes the humility and open enthusiasm of a debutante.
