VANNI Goggles represents the fusion of Italian eyewear craftsmanship and the creative energy of contemporary art. Each year, the Turin-based brand VANNI celebrates this connection by partnering with an emerging artist selected at the Artissima fair. For 2025, the dialogue between art and design takes form through an exclusive capsule collection by artist Nicola Bizzarri, where sculpture meets eyewear. Inspired by the shapes of industrial protective glasses, VANNI Gogglestransforms a functional object into wearable art — tangible, sculptural, and deeply Italian.
Since 2019, VANNI has maintained a close partnership with Artissima, the international contemporary art fair in Turin. Each year, the brand awards the #artistroom prize to an artist whose vision offers an unexpected perspective on reality — as if through a new lens.
In 2025, the prize went to Valentina Furian, represented by UNA Gallery (Piacenza and Milan), whose poetic research explores the intersection of body, gaze, and post-human dimensions.
Previous winners have included Cristian Chironi (Concrete), Catalin Pislaru (I Breath Poetry), Teresa Giannico(Visum), and Elisa Alberti (Embrace).
Each artist designs a limited-edition capsule collection with VANNI’s creative team — merging artistic vision and eyewear design. The result: a collectible piece that is both accessory and sculpture, expressing the material soul of Italian creativity.
The 2025 edition also marked the launch of VANNI Goggles, created with Nicola Bizzarri, the 2024 #artistroom prize winner. Born in 1996, Bizzarri lives and works between Munich and Bologna. His artistic practice focuses on the transformation of pre-existing images, reworking and melting them to reveal new forms and meanings.
In VANNI Goggles, this conceptual method becomes physical. The collection draws inspiration from work protection eyewear (PPE) — with wraparound silhouettes, robust frames, and clear materials. Screws and hinges, usually hidden, are intentionally visible, becoming aesthetic features in themselves.
Bizzarri’s unconventional approach resonates with VANNI’s philosophy: to make the functionality of eyewear a platform for artistic expression.
The word Goggles evokes experimentation, craftsmanship, and protection. Bizzarri reimagines the aesthetics of safety glasses — embracing their utilitarian strength and transparency.
The collection showcases Italian acetate by Mazzucchelli, finely sculpted and finished with double-plane milling. Each pair combines technical excellence and expressive form: seven-joint hinges, exposed rivets, and decorative screws highlight the precision of Italian manufacture.
For Bizzarri, design and art share the same purpose — to shape how we see and experience the world. As he says, “These glasses are meant to be used just as they were made.” That sentence sums up his philosophy: authenticity through material truth.
The VANNI Goggles capsule includes three color variants, each expressing a unique relationship to light and matter:
Mineral Green — a transparent green recalling the early glass lenses of vintage sunglasses.
Iron Red — a warm brown hue inspired by molten metal and earthy tones.
Cobalt Grey — a sophisticated grey-blue that evokes the chemical composition of glass.
These tones celebrate natural elements while preserving the timeless minimalism of VANNI’s design. Each pair comes numbered and signed by the artist, highlighting the exclusivity of this limited edition.
Now in its fifth edition, the VANNI #artistroom prize is more than a collaboration — it’s a laboratory for ideas. Each winner is selected by a multidisciplinary jury of art and design professionals.
In 2025, the jury included Nicolas Ballario (journalist), Cristian Chironi (artist), and Fiammetta Griccioli (curator). Their goal: to honor an artist capable of exploring reality through a new perspective while reflecting VANNI’s experimental spirit.
This initiative positions VANNI as a cultural ambassador of creative Made in Italy — where art and design feed each other to produce something unique, wearable, and meaningful.
With VANNI Goggles, the brand once again proves that eyewear is not just a fashion statement — it’s a creative vision. By partnering with Nicola Bizzarri, VANNI blurs the lines between design, craftsmanship, and art.
The capsule’s material presence — shaped, sculpted, and refined — expresses a contemporary Italian identity rooted in curiosity and experimentation. VANNI Goggles isn’t just a collection of sunglasses: it’s a new way of looking at the world, where creativity is literally worn every day.
Further reading :
The VANNI Extra model has won the prestigious 2025 Silmo d’Or award in the “Eyewear Brand” category, recognizing the excellence of Italian design and the uncompromising creativity of the Turin-based brand. This award crowns a bold and sculptural eyewear piece that reflects exceptional craftsmanship. What makes the VANNI Extra model so unique? VANNI Extra stands […]
What is the VANNI Goggles collection?
VANNI Goggles is a limited-edition capsule of three acetate sunglasses models created by Italian artist Nicola Bizzarri. Inspired by industrial work eyewear, it merges design precision with artistic vision.
Who is Nicola Bizzarri?
Nicola Bizzarri (b. 1996) is an Italian sculptor and visual artist. His work explores the relationship between form and meaning, often transforming everyday objects into abstract compositions. He won the 2024 VANNI #artistroom prize.
What is the connection between VANNI and Artissima?
VANNI has partnered with Artissima since 2019, awarding the annual #artistroom prize to an emerging artist. The winner collaborates with VANNI to design a limited-edition eyewear capsule that bridges art and design.
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