Andrea Grecucci and Kaisha Davierwalla, co-owners of the gallery, aim at providing their collector base with a 360 degree consultancy and an informal approach to curatorial practices
Lampoon presents Vaspaar Gallery
‘The provider of all things’: this is the translation for the ancient Persian word ‘Vaspaar’, a concept integrated in the Zoroastrian community. Vaspaar Gallery, founded in 2016 by Andrea Grecucci and Kaisha Davierwalla, aims at introducing a new approach to the practice of collecting.
«I was born in India to Persian parents who are adherents of Zoroastrianism. Vaspaar is one of the 101 names of the prophet Zoroastro. As a dealer I wanted to give that impression with an original name. The name Vaspaar is also a dedication to my origins and parents», she explains. Vaspaar stemmed from the different experiences and know-how the two founders acquired after graduation.
Business and life partners, their relationship has been marked by a reciprocal exchange. Since his university years, Grecucci showed interest in the technical aspects of design. On the other hand Davierwalla, passionate about the history of design, has carried out different internships in the Milan design scene and developed her passion for collectible design during her years as Sales Manager for a Milanese gallery.
What differentiates Vaspaar Gallery from other mid-century design galleries
Grecucci and Davierwalla offer collectors and design enthusiasts the opportunity to purchase unique design pieces in a simple and transparent way through an online platform and careful customer care. «Our main aim is not to differentiate ourselves at all costs, but to approach the customer in a fluid way with the pieces we deal with by providing detailed information on a curatorial and historical level», he explains.
According to Grecucci, their relationship with customers is not simply that between a gallery and a client, but between two entities who share a common passion. At the base of every transaction is the desire to transfer the value and historical value of the piece in a simple and genuine way.
What differentiates Vaspaar Gallery from other mid-century design galleries is their university education which has allowed the founders to deepen numerous historical cases and design pieces which they now have to manage on a daily basis. «I have always been fascinated by the idea of not relegating a chair by Pesce to what one studies in books or in a museum, but making it a home, personal, intimate and everyday object» Grecucci claims.
Vaspaar Gallery’s curatorial approach and the new trends of collectible design
Nowadays, the contemporary market is seeing a shift towards a younger collector base with new tastes, interests and influences. «We address a wide audience, not just young collectors. However this is a trend, as well as a force on both sides. New skills which belong to our generation are being expressed. For example the interest in cross-breed between fashion and design, well expressed during Milan Design Week 2022. There are other crossovers which are part of our daily life, such as digitization, which has also changed the collector’s daily activity», Grecucci explains.
These crossovers also offer new opportunities to artists and creatives working in different fields to express their artistry through inventive collaborations. Mattia Balsamini – renowned contemporary Italian photographer who majored in advertising photography at Brooks Institute of Photography in Los Angeles – signed Vaspaar’s latest photoshoot which translated in pictures the gallery’s curatorial philosophy.
The images shot by Balsamini complete the work done by Paper Paper studio, based in Milan, which provided Vaspaar with a new brand identity. An incisive yet delicate intervention which gives a visual representation of the iconicity of the pieces which make up the collection.
Vaspaar Gallery’s varied and distinguished collection
Grecucci e Davierwalla provide a 360 degree consultancy, including curatorial advice, pieces authentication, scouting and restoration to the most varied types of collectors. A few years after the birth of the gallery, Vaspaar is starting to expand its network by entering more exclusive collection circles and accessing higher market segments, especially in the city of Milan.
Their original attitude also allowed them to find a clear positioning in the market which, according to Davierwalla, was not always so open to innovative and informal approaches. «There are some collectors we have been following for years with whom the relationship is formal, almost institutional. This is a key part of our job, but we also like the more casual and easy-going relationship we have with those who come to Vaspaar on a tight budget asking us to help them according to their preferences and tastes, which we satisfy thanks to our trusted network of suppliers», Davierwall says.
Vaspaar Gallery’s varied and distinguished collection presents a unique blend of original works by masters such as Gaetano Pesce, Gio Ponti, Franco Albini, Alessandro Mendini, Superstudio and many more. The first item they bought was a set of furniture designed by Frattini.
Davierwalla recalls the long debates on its authenticity: «At the time we were not familiar with the tricks of the trade yet, but since then we started buying other pieces. It was like a domino effect». Despite the existence of a defined process behind the research and purchase of historical design items, they let themselves be guided by their personal taste and curiosity.
An in-depth knowledge of the market and its dynamics
«We like to experiment and although we are passionate about some specific authors and currents, we are not relegated to them», Grecucci says. In their practice the two owners not only follow trends, but they also foresee some of them thanks to their in-depth knowledge of the market and its dynamics. Moreover, through their network of experts and collectors, they obtain insider news on the upcoming exhibitions, which allow them to discover in advance the next authors or currents which are going to return under the spotlight.
Vaspaar Gallery’s first contemporary collection: a return to the origins
On July 6, 2022 Vaspaar presented its first contemporary collection which includes a geometric coffee table – Genesi – and two series of sculptural vases – Neocene and Proiezione. The texture of the pieces, the result of a careful material research, is what strikes the eye. The ethos of the collection is the selection of artisanal niche techniques which come to new life through the production of contemporary design objects.
«The desire to make these pieces revealed itself in a natural way, but it took me some time to untie myself from my previous modus operandi. I have always wanted to express my concept of design in a more violent way, bypassing all the stakes and dogmas which come from the world of consumer electronics, in which I have been working for 15 years», Grecucci explains.
Materie Prime group
This first collection – developed as part of the group ‘Materie Prime’ (Raw Materials) from Italy with which the designer is affiliated – wants to express through the use of such different materials – aluminum, alabaster and stainless steel – the power of the material itself, making the shape a natural consequence.
The use of alabaster, for example, is a return to the origins of some masters of Italian design present in Vaspaar Gallery’s collection – including Mangiarotti and La Pietra – who in the past availed of the same workshop and craftsmen who produced the pieces designed by Grecucci.
According to the designer, the exaltation of the materials, their veins and reactions to light takes place in an almost childlike way through basic experiments. «The target audience are people like me on the opposite side, who want to be amazed on a daily basis by what they have in front of them, collectors who want an everyday object which is also a sort of statement». By providing collectors and design enthusiasts with the possibility to approach design in a transparent and informal way, Vaspaar Gallery introduces new approaches and methods in collectible design.
Vaspaar gallery
Digital gallery with a rare collection of mid-century and contemporary Italian design. Vaspaar Gallery is curated by business and life partners Kaisha Davierwalla and Andrea Grecucci, the collection includes original works by masters such as Gaetano Pesce, Ugo La Pietra, Gio Ponti, Franco Albini, Alessandro Mendini and Superstudio. With the headquarters in Milan and two warehouses in Lombardy and Switzerland, Vaspaar is able to operate from the center of Europe, thus leveraging connections with key markets.
