Phillip K. Smith III x COS at Palazzo Isimbardi
Salone del Mobile
To celebrate their seventh year at Salone del Mobile, COS have partnered with American artist, Phillip
K. Smith III to create Open Sky – a light and reflection-based art installation.
The piece is housed in Palazzo Isimbardi, a building dating back to the 16th century located on
Milan’s Corso Monforte. Influenced by this setting, Smith’s inspiration for the installation came from
Renaissance architecture, the Milanese sky and the aesthetics of COS.
Designed to respond to its surroundings, Open Sky creates a spatiotemporal experience, with its reflections utilizing light, space, colour and the changing environment as a medium. Upon entering the courtyard of Palazzo Isimbardi, the architectural form of the installation invites visitors to explore a setting that appears to alter all the time. By framing the Milanese sky within mirrors, the outdoor piece captures what would otherwise seem ephemeral.
“Every person’s experience will be unique because the angle of
reflection, the changing environment, and the shifting light of
the day are all in a constant state of flux.”
- Phillip K. Smith III
Palazzo Isimbardi
Corso Monforte 35
20122 Milan
