Passagen Interior Design Week: New Archeology? Ettore Sottsass reloaded

The Italian Cultural Institute Cologne is taking part in the 35th edition of Passagen Interior Design Week from January 10 to 16, 2025 and is presenting Jessica Soffiati's photo exhibition New Archeology? Ettore Sottsass reloaded, curated by Federica Sala and on display at the Institute from January 11 to May 9, 2025.

Visitor times

Preview: Saturday, January 11, 2025 | 18.00 - 20.00 With Italian aperitif
Opening: Sunday, January 12, 2025 | 14.00 - 18.00

Mon-Thu 9.00-13.00 / 13.30-17.00
Fri 9.00-14.00
Free admission

Jessica Soffiati's photos show the largely preserved, current form of the original design by Ettore Sottsass Jr. for the Esprit flagship store in Cologne from 1986 at Hof 2 on the corner of Hohe Strasse. The architecture, which was rediscovered and exposed during the renovation by the new watch store Wempe, was partially restored and reinterpreted by Anna Nicolas, creating a contemporary hybrid. The exhibition, curated by Federica Sala and organized by the Italian Cultural Institute Cologne in collaboration with the Italian Consulate General Cologne, makes it possible to discover details of this hidden treasure.

Jessica Soffiati is a photographer and creative director. She collaborates with creative agencies and brand companies and curates projects in the fields of photography, strategy and communication. She collects photographs with flaws, hyper-realistic ceramics and writes articles. In all her work, she questions the duality of reality and fiction. Jessica Soffiati has lived in Milan since 2024.

Federica Sala is an independent curator and design consultant. She has worked in the design department of the Pompidou Center and has collaborated with brands such as Fabrica, miart, 5VIE Art+Design, Airbnb, Vogue Italia and more recently with Cassina, Buccellati and Dolce&Gabbana. She curates exhibitions for the Milan Triennale and the ADI Design Museum. Federica Sala works as an art consultant for the hotel industry (Six Senses Roma, ...) and together with Rizzoli International (Gianluca Pacchioni, Minimal Baroque, 2021; Venini, La Magia del Vetro, 2023; Echoes, Cassina, 2023; Gregory Gatserelia, The Art of Interiors, 2024). Since 2021 she has been Italian Design Ambassador for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and since July 2022 Editor-in-Chief of The Good Life Italia, a business & lifestyle magazine.

During the Passagen Interior Design Week 2025, guided tours in Italian and English are planned at Wempe, the former confectionery store of the Cologne chocolate factory Stollwerck. Further information can be found at: iiccolonia@esteri.it