a radical reflection on the value and desire for sensory awareness in the experience of the real world

Aldilà is a transparent Murano crystal sphere, 50 cm in diameter, crafted in nine pieces by master glassmaker Simone Cenedese, guardian of the centuries-old Venetian tradition of mouth-blown glass. Each sphere, like the curious ampoules of an alchemist, contains one of the nine unique essences created by Spyros Drosopoulos, independent maître parfumeur who pushes the boundaries of what perfume can mean and do.

Spyros Drosopoulos' nine fragrances for Francesco Meneghello are designed to transport your senses to new olfactory realms. They focus on the complex and alluring essence of the rose, colected from all over the world  including Bulgarian, Greek and Moroccan varieties. They also embrace the symbolism of the flower, which has always been seen as the perfect expression of the spirit. Behind the glass globe, you can see the precious contents, but you can't fully experience them.

A gesture marks the transition from visual experience (which is rational, limited and unfulfilling) to olfactory experience (which is dreamlike, absolute and sensual). This moment represents an act of destruction, of renouncing presence; you can only fully enjoy the fragrance by rejecting the material world. This a permanent change: the crystal will break into pieces and the perfume, spreading through the air, will envelop the senses with the sublime pleasure of its fragrance. But it will forever lose its permanence and its unique and unrepeatable olfactory magnificence. Instantly the value of the work will be reduced to zero.