Frames and Forks

 At Pellico 3, the fine dining restaurant within Park Hyatt Milan, haute cuisine and contemporary art come together in a unique journey that connects the creations of Chef Guido Paternollo with works by Tancredi Parmeggiani, Claudio Verna and Turi Simeti. A dialogue built around matter, light, transformation and the pursuit of essentiality. The paintings of Claudio Verna, a leading figure of Italy’s Analytical Painting movement, find a natural counterpart in Paternollo’s approach to cooking—a cuisine that places technique, fire and ingredients at its core. In Oro Antico, layers of yellow and orange create a vibrant, luminous surface, echoing the chef’s Irish Coffee of champignon mushrooms, where the ingredient is explored through contrasting textures and intensities in a continuous process of transformation. A similar sense of balance and movement emerges in Colonna, paired with poached langoustine, lovage emulsion, broad beans, curry powder and black lemon. Just as the painting’s bands of color guide the eye without imposing a fixed narrative, the dish unfolds through a progression of flavors that allows each element to express its own identity. Verna’s Percezione II shares with the 18-Month Parmigiano Reggiano Ravioli the idea of gradual discovery. The dish reveals increasing complexity through a single protagonist ingredient, while the painting slowly discloses its chromatic depth and subtle layers. The conversation with Turi Simeti’s Nove Ovali revolves around three-dimensionality. Paternollo’s lamb cutlets with thyme and piment d’Espelette, roasted saddle of lamb, barbecue jus, crispy shallots and wild herbs mirror the artwork’s raised elliptical forms, where light and shadow transform the painted surface into a sculptural presence. The experience concludes with Strawberries in rhubarb and verbena escabeche, strawberry mousse and sorbet, rhubarb compote and tangy meringues, paired with Tancredi Parmeggiani’s Senza Titolo. Both embrace the concept of constant transformation: textures, gestures and perceptions evolve continuously, never settling into a definitive form. At Pellico 3, neither the artworks nor the dishes ask to be interpreted; rather, they invite guests to experience them. It is an encounter where art and gastronomy share a common language shaped by precision, sensitivity and the transformative power of matter.