Rural life for creative minds — our creative retreat
Because when searching for inspiration, there’s no need to go far (+ other stuff we learned from our first creative retreat during a pandemic) 👀
We’re a studio that likes to go places. Every year the whole team embarks on a new creative adventure and this spring we were supposed to go to Berlin, at Pictoplasma. This year, however, turned out to have totally different plans in store for us, as it did for the entire world.
We didn’t let that stop us, though, and still managed to treat ourselves to a few days of talks, workshops and so.much.amazing.food without even leaving our province. Our final destination? Rantan, a farmhouse hidden in the beautiful valleys of Piedmont, where two amazing chefs have transformed a plot of land and a house into a magical place.
Conviviality, amazing food and nature? What more could we ask for? So let’s get started!
First stop — the Olivetti “Valley”
Our first stop is at the Ivrea Industrial City, birthplace of Olivetti and of so many revolutionary ideas, both from a technological and from a social point of view. Definitely an inspiration and a benchmark for our own work-life philosophy, as well. Founded in 1908, Olivetti manufactured typewriters, mechanical calculators and office computers, while also keeping their workers’ best interests at heart.
The headquarters feature a large factory alongside administrative offices and buildings designed for social purposes, as well as residential units designed to create a community for all employees. This architectural ensemble is proof of the ideas promoted by Adriano Olivetti, a humanist and promoter of worker’s rights at a time when many of the privileges we enjoy today seemed utopic.
So kudos to Olivetti! But by the time we finish our passeggiata around Ivrea we’re already hungry, so it’s time we reach our home for the next 3 days, Rantan (https://rantan.it/)!
Rantan — welcome to paradise! ✨
There we’re being welcomed by Carol (from NYC) and Francesco (from Canavese, Turin), the chefs, farmers, lovers and founders of this idyllic place. Cow bells resound softly across the hills while a perfectly warm light gives everything a touch of gold. We could get used to this.
Next, it’s Disconnected dinner time: an 8 (eight !) course meal made with delicious local products interpreted in a contemporary, exciting way, with no phones in sight. That’s right, we’re only relying on analog methods to record all our exclamations of delight while everybody is basically face planting into the best fresh butter we’ve ever had.
— Let’s just say exquisite doesn’t even begin to cover it.
We were in complete ecstasy, which might also be the reason behind our “draw with your feet” spontaneous challenge later that evening. That, or the natural wine, who knows.
Day two — farm and creativity, to table
Next morning, we dive straight into our first workshop: Fabric Dying with natural veggies. Italian-English textile designer & illustrator Chiara Leto joins us online to walk us through the whole process, while also letting us in on her personal journey towards a more sustainable approach to creativity and fashion.
We take our notes and go foraging the Rantan vegetable garden, gathering the raw material for the actual dyeing process. Then as soon as the vegetables are boiling, we get on with the creation folds and patterns out of cotton bandannas.
Sure it’s all fun and games, but what about the final result? Well, let’s just say that we’re so pleased with it that we’re going to hang this fabric collage in our studio.
Now it’s time for Gianluca Cannizzo’s live creative talk, who’s joining us at Rantan to tell us more about his projects, My Poster Sucks and Laboratorio Zanzara. Gianluca is a multidisciplinary visual artist, specialized in art direction, graphic design and illustration. He also loves wine ;)
It’s all very inspiring as we revel in his tongue-in-cheek takes on poster making and go behind the scenes at the Laboratorio Zanzara, where creativity meets social work as a means for integrating people suffering from mental health issues.
All this talk about creativity is getting us hungry again, but today’s not just about sitting, eating and listening. Because right after lunch Carol and Francesco are letting us in on some of their cooking secrets during a special workshop: we’re doing tarte tatin and a special vegetarian schnitzel, under their careful guidance. We’re having the fruit of our labour for dinner, so no pressure!
As it turns out, we’re not so bad in the kitchen after all, but we’ll keep on doing videos and illustrating concepts just so that we don’t generate unloyal competition to Rantan. It’s the least we could do.
Time to say goodbye
#Wokeuplikethis? Our final day at Rantan kicks off with our very own Ani, who’s doing her creative morning on Japanese beauty routine. Next thing you know we’re all hypnotized by tissue masks that expand from pills under our very eyes (science is amazing!). There’s also photographic proof of all our guys donning a cosmetic mask more or less enthusiastically.
Now that we’re all glowing it’s time for the final Creative Talk by Michela Tannoia who’s joining us online, from the beautiful Valpolicella hills. Her style takes inspiration from nature, and her realistic drawings of animals and plants hold a fairytale charm, whether it’s the dark side of the brighter one she’s leaning towards.
She’s leaving us with some final challenges of mindless doodles (that was harder than you think!).
One final lunch and many sighs later we’re getting on our way, but not before we make one last stop at a nearby waterfall. Sunbathing and cocktails? More like a freezing cold natural pool, but that’s not going to stop two of our teams’ bravehearts from taking a dive — it builds up character.
Last challenge accepted and completed, we’re finally ready to go back to Turin.
See you next year!
