Toiletpaper Apartment debuts in Milan with a “sophisticated” collaboration with Alex Prager

During Milan Design Week 2024, Toiletpaper presented the Toiletpaper Apartment, a new space for exhibitions, events and “everything” related to creativity. Located on Via Balzaretti 8, a Milanese street transformed into a permanent public art installation with the brand's signature motifs on the building facades, the apartment is next to the “Lipstick House”, headquarters of the irreverent editorial project over a decade ago founded by the artist Maurizio Cattelan and the photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari.

In the toilet paper apartment

The ToiletAlex PaperPrager project marked the debut of the apartment and is the result of an encounter between the iconographic universe of toilet paper and the mysterious imagery of the American artist, director and screenwriter Alex Prager.

Presenting a traditional photography exhibition and collaboration for another photographer is a departure from Toiletpaper's usually large-scale takeovers (which in the past have included an exhibition at NMACC in Mumbai). “Compared to what we have done before, we designed the Toiletpaper Apartment as a place that tries to highlight one thing at a time,” says Ferrari. “We are used to a toilet paper environment full of images, in a superposition of layers, a cabinet of curiosities or a fascinating experience.” “When you introduce a new element into our classic environment, there is a risk that it will get a little lost in the aesthetic. “

This contrast is evident in the main room, a large hall with unusual white ceilings and black geometries. The walls are mostly black, with massive prints (twelve by Prager and twelve by Toiletpaper) with gold frames. It's the first time that the Italian duo's paintings have been framed and exhibited as more traditional gallery presentations: the result is unsettling, of course, but also somehow reassuring.

“We wanted to simplify and return to a classic aesthetic.” I would describe it as Impero (Rich), with references to columns and squares everywhere,” says Ferrari. “It also fits well with the scope of the photographic work we show.” “We found a good balance: you can still see the world of toilet paper, but in a more sophisticated way.”

In the room, a huge table by the artist Giampiero Romanò stands out against the wooden parquet floors with the iconic snake rugs from Toiletpaper. The top is red and decorated with gold squares that mimic the walls, while the legs at the base look like gold colonnades.

The designer had already worked on a collection of 45 screens with toilet paper, developing a new process: “For the table, I started with a machine that prints billboards, then I had to find a way to repair it and create one.” Special paintwork. The polishing alone required 30 days of work, and then I had to design the hidden structure that holds the table together. “I achieve the result with the invaluable support of dozens of local Italian artisans from Brianza.”

A second room, decorated with photographs but also with a pouf, an armchair and a cabinet by Seletti and Toiletpaper, is ideal for allowing people to enter when the parties get too crowded (since the room is mainly used for exhibitions and events becomes). However, this is not evidence that Toiletpaper wants to leave the discomfort zone: “It’s an evolution,” says Ferrari. “We're not moving in a new direction. For us it's always a loop.”