In memoriam: David Lynch
David Lynch - Ph. Dean Hurley
The American director has left us at the age of 78. The Salone del Mobile.Milano had the honor of working with him during its 62nd edition, hosting his immersive installation titled “A Thinking Room”. An extraordinary journey into the depths of the mind and feelings. His vision will continue to be a source of inspiration.
David Lynch has passed away at the age of 78. The famous American director suffered from severe emphysema, with the diagnosis announced last summer from his residence on Senalda Road, Los Angeles, which he had had to evacuate in recent days because of the devastating wildfires ravaging the city in California. Born in 1946 in Missoula, Montana, Lynch was a filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, musician and visual artist, but also a passionate designer: with his unique, visionary, incomparable visual style, he has influenced generations of directors and creatives.
The author of masterpieces such as Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks, which have made the history of contemporary cinema, David Lynch was one of the protagonists of the last edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, with a project that combined the scenic language of cinema and theater. The director of the unconscious designed one of his latest works: the installation “Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room”: twin rooms set up, with the curatorship of Antonio Monda, inside pavilions 5 and 7.
Two identical and specular “thinking rooms” imagined as symbolic doors, characterized by two circular red velvet curtains, to be traversed to immerse oneself in the Event, containing within them a large central wooden armchair equipped with tools for writing, drawing and painting.
Once inside, visitors were greeted by the “absolute, impossible, absurd darkness” so dear to the director. A screen awaited them where, in a loop, a conversation zoom between author and curator was projected. The project involved the collaboration of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, which materially realized the director’s fascinating imagery and artistic thoughts.
In David Lynch’s own words: “Just thinking about being able to imagine a thinking room is pleasant. A room that helps make it happen. Thought, I mean.” The director’s death leaves a deep void that will be difficult to fill, both by his uniqueness and his unparalleled talent. His thought, his brilliant vision, his language and his freedom of expression will continue to inspire and stimulate creativity.
