Italian furniture on display at K11 mall

Imagine you were curating an exhibition of iconic Italian furniture and design, and were told that one of the most recognisable pieces ever created might not make it in time for opening day?

That's the dilemma faced by Calvin Hui, curator of "From 20th Century to Eternity", because of a last-minute decision to stage the show, which was compounded by the fact many such collectibles require extra documentation.

Hui was especially concerned about the Bocca, the outrageous lip-shaped sofa designed in 1972 by Studio 65 to resemble the pout of sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Because of its unexpected classification as a rare piece of art, rather than furniture, its inclusion among the exhibits was initially in doubt.

But, as Hong Kong visitors to the exhibition at the K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui will see from tomorrow, the fire-engine-red love seat made it in time for its debut here. It was shipped separately from the rest of the collection to make sure it cleared customs on time.

Which is why Hui can breathe a little easier about the event, for which he collaborated with Italian furniture dealer William Figliola, of Novalis Contemporary Art, who has been collecting Italian furniture and other designs for the past two decades.

Hui, like Figliola, is so passionate about Italian craftsmanship that putting together the show, he says, proved difficult.