L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano F OG Design+Art Fair came back to San Francisco in J a n u a r y f o r i t s 11th edition, mak- ing a significant impact and registering record crowds of over 22,000, including 7,000 on one day alone. Among the many events, the sold-out preview gala, a record-break- er itself, generated substantial support for SFMOMA's edu- cational initiatives. The 2025 FOG Design+Art fair at Fort Mason Center offered a diverse experience, s h o w c a s i n g 5 9 e x h i b i t o r s across two piers, including 15 first-time participants. The FOG Theater hosted popular discussions and a panel on d o w n t o w n r e v i t a l i z a t i o n introduced by new Mayor D a n i e l L u r i e . " W e a r e delighted with the fair's suc- cess and the vibrant energy F O G a n d S F A r t W e e k brought to San Francisco," F O G D e s i g n + A r t D i r e c t o r Sydney Blumenkranz shared. "We hope the fair continues to enhance the city's rich cul- t u r a l s c e n e a n d s h o w i t s dynamic arts community for years to come." Additionally, the four-day event featured FOG MRKT, a curated installation show- casing artisanal products and crafts with an emphasis on the Bay Area, with handcraft- e d o n e - o f - a - k i n d i t e m s , including a selection designed specifically for FOG. This year's fair also saw the return of FOG FOCUS, a dedicated pavilion designed to present art by young and underrepre- s e n t e d a r t i s t s , a n d w h i c h offers entry at a lower price point. In addition, the fair hosted FOG Talks, a pro- g r a m m i n g s e r i e s t h a t explores ideas and issues rele- v a n t t o t h e f i e l d s o f a r t , design, technology, and our contemporary world. A m o n g t h e m a n y exhibitors, we ran into one, G a l l e r y F u m i , t h a t h a s stuck to the show tradition for years. Gallery Fumi, estab- lished in 2008 in London by S a m P r a t t a n d V a l e r i o Capo, focuses on high-level designers and artists, each one encompassing the value of craftsmanship, traditional techniques, and innovative technologies. Sam Pratt is originally from Sierra Leone in West Africa and has been living in England for a very long time. His partner, Vale- rio Capo, was born in Paes- tum, a beautiful town south of Salerno, on the Amalfi Coast. When Sam and Vale- rio met, they both had differ- ent jobs, not related to the a r t w o r l d , y e t t h e y b o t h shared a passion for beauti- ful things, the arts, and furni- ture. They were buying lots of items for their loft in Lon- don, until the day they asked themselves "Why don't we make our passion a busi- ness"? That's where their journey as art curators and the story of Gallery Fumi both began. They started collecting pieces and getting in touch with galleries, artists, and designers. "We kicked this off small in our apartment in L o n d o n , i n a v e r y t r e n d y area, full of artists like Tracey E m i n a n d A l e x a n d e r McQueen. They all had stu- dios there. The gallery was indeed in our apartment, which sits in an old building that used to be a school; the a p a r t m e n t i t s e l f w a s t h e gym. We began by showing the small things, then we grew and we had to get a new space near home". After a few years, Sam and Valerio realized their clients wanted to be in central London, so t h e y c h o s e t o m o v e t h e gallery to Mayfair. "Gallery Fumi takes its name from the Nigerian lan- guage, and means 'God's gift to me.' It really resonated with the idea we had for our gallery," Valerio told me. "We kind of played with the Italian language, too, so we kept 'Gallery' at the begin- ning of the name and 'Fumi,' w h i c h i n I t a l i a n m e a n s "smoke" and reminds us of London a bit. Also, there is another "fumi," a Japanese word, which means "beauti- ful thing." Many interesting meanings and multiple mes- sages, exactly like the spirit of the gallery." What you find at Gallery Fumi, even for what is just a small peek of what is fea- tured in the space in London, is indeed the reflection of a m u l t i c u l t u r a l a p p r o a c h : many of these works have never been seen before; they are unique pieces that push the boundaries of materials u s e d a n d u n u s u a l t e c h - niques. During my conversa- tion with Sam and Valerio, we were standing next to a beautiful table, which hap- pened to be Italian-made. Called Nucleo, it has been m a d e b y a n I t a l i a n a r t i s t F r a n c e s c o P e r i n i . T h e beauty of nature's process is mirrored in this creation, thanks to the magnificent seasoned oak wood chosen as its main material, along with Fiori di Bosco marble, which was locally sourced. "It is made by a craftsman from Tuscany; we have been col- laborating with Perini for many years. He is a maestro, part of a multigenerational family business. His inspira- tion are nature and tranquili- ty." The table features circu- lar patterns, formed around sand grains trapped at its center. Desert Rose crystal f o r m a t i o n s s y m b o l i z e strength and resistance due to their ability to withstand harsh conditions over cen- turies. G a l l e r y F u m i b r i n g s together local artistry and international design, creating a space where diverse works find common ground. "There a r e t w o t h i n g s w e a l w a y s look for: the person and the work," Sam explained as he walked me through their dis- covery process. "We need to like the person just as much as we love their work—both aspects are equally impor- tant. It doesn't matter where they come from. It could be F r a n c e s c o f r o m T u s c a n y , some chairs from Spain, or a beautiful cabinet from New Jersey." F o r t h e p a s t f i v e y e a r s , F o g D e s i g n + A r t Fair has provided Sam and Valerio with the opportunity to strengthen their relation- ships with San Francisco's collectors and institutions while reconnecting with a w e l c o m i n g a n d e n g a g e d community. "Our collabora- tion with SFMOMA has been incredibly rewarding," Sam s h a r e d . " O v e r t h e y e a r s , we've placed three works in their permanent collection, which is fantastic. We've also had meaningful conversa- tions with many people here, and the overall response has been really positive. Lately, we're seeing more interest from younger generations, some of whom could become collectors in the future." For the future, Valerio is excited to spend time back in London. "Our next stop is actually to pause for a few months in London, where we have some exciting projects and new exhibitions in the works," he said. "By fall, we'll be back on the road for sev- e r a l t r i p s , a n d h o p e f u l l y , we'll return here in January 2 0 2 6 . S a n F r a n c i s c o i s a great city—it's undergone a lot of positive changes, and the new mayor is showing real interest in the arts. We have good friends and loyal clients here, so we'll definite- ly be back!" SERENA PERFETTO Italian design takes center stage at FOG Design+Art thanks to Gallery Fumi Sam Pratt (front) and Valerio Capo (back) founded Gallery Fumi in 2008 (Photo Courtesy of Tom Jamieson) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

• Cover