Photos by Brian Hatton.

Vignelli Legacy | Monday, May 21, 2024 - Friday, October 11, 2024

Heller and Josh Owen
Furniture Installation

Gary Hustwit
Photo Exhibition

Vignelli Legacy is a multi-media exhibition on the occasion of Design Week New York that showcases the life and legacy of Saint Peter’s designers, Lella and Massimo Vignelli. This exhibition is in collaboration with the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology and Heller Furniture.

Since 1971, Heller has worked with some of the world’s finest designers, in particular Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Loved worldwide, the Max Collection – dubbed Hellerware – was designed in the 1960s by the duo, who The New York Times described as “a two-person design army with a shared aesthetic that was sleek and intelligent.”

In the 2000s, the Vignellis designed a Bench and Cube side table for Heller. Recently, Heller Furniture launched a new Vignelli Rocker. Aesthetically pleasing, highly functional, and designed without ego, the Vignelli Collection surpasses the definition of modern. Heller Furniture’s soon-to-be-released SOS Stool by Josh Owen are also be on view.

In addition, the Living Room Gallery hosts more than two dozen photographs from filmmaker and visual artist Gary Hustwit’s 2013 visit to the home of Massimo and Lella Vignelli, courtesy of Hustwit and the Vignelli Center.

While searching for a willing subject to aid his burgeoning interest in still life photography, Hustwit turned to Massimo Vignelli, a figure who, along with a towering legacy in the design world, had a huge impact on Hustwit’s life and career. Massimo was Hustwit’s first on-camera interview for his film, Helvetica, and now served as first subject for a photography project, one that would encompass a day spent in the home he created with beloved wife and design partner Lella.

For the Vignellis, design was imbued in every facet of their life—from the furniture, lighting, and vases, to the dishes and cutlery. “I spent hours photographing the contents of their bookshelves, their kitchen, everything,” Hustwit said.

Both the Heller and Hustwit installations will be on view through October 11, 2024.