Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore with works by Sandro Chia and Giorgio di Palma at the entrance of Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Italy.
Photo: Paolo Terzi
How Chef Massimo Bottura Finds Inspiration in Art at His Boutique Hotel in Italy
The acclaimed chef and his business partner and wife Lara Gilmore share the importance of art in their lives
Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore at the entrance of Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Italy. Photo: Paolo Terzi
Chef Massimo Bottura and his wife, Lara Gilmore, discuss the symbolism behind the playful artworks installed at their boutique hotel in Modena, Italy, Casa Maria Luigia, which is the subject of their book, Slow Food, Fast Cars.
Massimo Bottura: When you arrive at Casa Maria Luigia, the first thing you see is the sculpture Babbo by Sandro Chia looking at you and saying, “Hey, you pay attention. You are in Modena. This is the land of tradition, and don’t even think about doing something crazy.”
Lara Gilmore: Behind him, there’s a balcony with two classic cement vases. Massimo suggested we call Giorgio di Palma and see what he would put in them. The artist’s idea was for ice cream that’s melting because gelato is the Italian identity. It tells all our guests when they arrive: You’re in Italy,
Slow Food, Fast Cars, by Massimo Bottura, Lara Gilmore, and Jessica Rosval. Photo: Courtesy of Phaidon
MB: Lara comes from the art world and introduced me to contemporary art. I started stealing ideas from artists and transforming those into edible bites. In the main lobby, there’s a big piece by Ai Weiwei with him dropping a 2,000-year-old vase as if to say, “I’m not distancing myself from my history; I’m breaking it to build my future.” That’s what I do in the kitchen every day.
Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore with works by Sandro Chia and Giorgio di Palma at the entrance of Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Italy. Photo: Paolo Terzi
LG: Art, especially at Casa Maria Luigia, is also a way of inviting curiosity. We want the art to blend in with the living spaces while asking you to think about things differently. The biggest fear that Massimo and I have as restaurateurs is getting stuck. It’s the artists who push us forward and help us have the courage to do things differently.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Summer Issue in the section In Focus. Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore with works by Sandro Chia and Giorgio di Palma at the entrance of Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Italy.
Photo: Paolo Terzi
