According to the principles of Harmochromy, it is important to choose the right palette for the rooms in your home. But what does this mean in concrete terms?

Let’s start from the beginning. Harmochromy (a term brought to the attention by Rossella Migliaccio in her 2019 best seller) has become a very popular theme in relation to cosmetics and clothing. As the word itself suggests, it involves identifying shades that are in harmony with the complexion as well as hair and eye colour. The set of colours that best suit a person is called a palette. Today, it is very common to classify these palettes into ‘seasons‘ and their subgroups.

Knowing whether we are more ‘winter‘ or more ‘spring‘ is a useful guide for choosing a dress or make-up, but what does this have to do with interior design and especially with art?

In fact, the principles of Harmochromy do not only apply to the person, but also apply to the spaces in which we live. Finding the right palette for the rooms in one’s home, as suggested by the experts in colour matching, does not only mean matching colours well with each other, but also exploiting them to act on people’s perception of space and wellbeing. Colours and shades are elements that interior designers must take into account to ensure balance in the furnishings, also in relation to the purpose of the room itself and the personality of the person living in it. Depending on the colours chosen, for example, a kitchen may convey an idea of order, or liveliness or warmth. For a bedroom we will probably choose relaxing tones. But what counts is not the colour itself: it is above all the combinations. Just like sounds, colours can be ‘out of tune’, jarring, pleasant or engaging. Colours can also be ‘cumbersome’: a dark palette will give the idea of a more cosy and intimate environment, but if you overdo it you risk giving a sense of seclusion. Very light colours enhance the space in the home, but can be cold and anonymous. In short, it’s all about delicate balancing acts, and of course the artwork must also contribute to the overall effect. This is why, when applying harmonisation to the rooms of a home, the palette must also be respected when choosing works of art. Indeed, in some cases one can start from the artwork itself and be guided by it. The peculiarity of artists is precisely that of knowing how to choose tones and combinations to communicate and arouse emotions, which is why interior designers can also choose to be inspired by a painting or a photograph when deciding on the colours of a piece of furniture. If you want to see some examples, visit the pages of the artists of Cinquerosso Arte and you will notice that the placement of works in the various rooms is done in respect of the palette, in perfect harmony.

Professional photographer for more than thirty years, Franco Covi is always looking for new languages and new means of expression, from film to artificial intelligence.

Franco, tell us about yourself.

I started doing this job very young. First as an assistant, and then, at 21 with my own business. Actually my first camera was given to me as a present when I was 6, so it is safe to say I started fifty years ago.

As a photographer, I obviously dedicate myself to several different projects, but in a more personal artistic sense of the job I am very much still interested in the human body.

I also started, ten years ago, to create videos, to experiment. Videos that have dancers as protagonists. Today I define myself as a photographer and a video maker.

Also in your photos the protagonists come from the dance world, don’t they?

Yes, and for a while now. I find dancers much more interesting than models, because they know how to express, with their bodies, what I have in mind. I describe a situation, a concept, and they interpret it very easily because they are used to telling stories with their bodies. Very often they are female dancers, but it depends on what I want to portray with the image. For example when I decided to portray a body in a very wild and rocky landscape, I chose the body of a male dancer.

What inspires you? How are your pictures born?

It might seem strange, almost mystical, but very often I have some sort of vision, like a dream. I have something in mind, a photo, and then I see it, as in a daydream. I see the photo already printed. Very often it happens to me, that images come, and I find myself going through them like a photo album. Then, when I actually realize it, changes might occur, even together with the people being shot who – as I said – are often dancers. It is never a solo, it is a dialogue. I often use black and white but it is not a diktat. I start from the image and then sometimes I decide later on if I want to finish it in color or in black and white. In the end, today’s technology allows this and I have always been a fan of new technologies.

What are you working on now?

In this moment, I am studying the applications of artificial intelligence that allow the generation of images starting from a series of words, from a description. Many might turn up their noses, but I find this actually quite interesting. This is also a way of telling something through images. I am now in the process of understanding whether I can combine photography with these techniques, if there is a path that can be followed and also be artistically interesting.

If I had to define my photography with a word, I would say it is explorative. Both because I like to explore new techniques, and because when I “receive” my images, I explore, I investigate, what my mind is able to propose. So every time is a sort of research in the meanders of the mind, on the threshold between sleep and waking. And then, I re-create my dream.

Discover Franco Covi’s artworks!

From the 19^th to the 23^rd of January, Cinquerosso Arte will be in Paris to participate at Maison&Objet!

Sector “Today”, Hall 6 – Stand K49

Maison&Object is one of the most important events worldwide dedicated to interior design and furniture. The fair takes place twice a year, in January and September, in Paris, and attracts thousands and thousands of professionals of design from many countries. Many products are exhibited, from large furniture to tiny objects, many ideas on contemporary interior design, many occasions to connect and exchange.

The participation in Maison&Objet is therefore an event rich in potential for Cinquerosso Arte, which will be able to present its project of affordable art for interior design to a vast audience of architects, designers and general contractors.

This year’s theme is “Take Care!”. Taking care of oneself, each other, and the planet, is therefore the concept – the value – around which the entire organization of the fair moves. Take Care!, in this case, is intended as a focusing, a re-connecting oneself to reality and action. This concept covers a broad spectrum of choices, from the shape of a piece of furniture to ecological materials to reduce the environmental impact of furnishings.

Cinquerosso Arte takes to this space its own idea of beauty, art as a gift capable of making people’s lives better. From contractors to designers, everybody can benefit from a selection of artists making quality works of art available, with a wide variety of styles, techniques, colours and atmospheres.

Where to find us at Maison&Objet

The stand of Cinquerosso Arte is in Sector “Today”, Hall 6 – Stand K49.

For appointments you may use the usual contacts or fill the form on the website of Maison&Objet https://www.maison-objet.com/en/paris/exhibitors/cinquerosso-arte-today.

Cinquerosso Arte will be waiting for you in Paris!