Giulia Ligabue - ETRURIA design

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34 Show La mostra Sit_Down_Please al Coverings 2007 di Chicago. The Sit_Down_Please exhibition at Coverings 2007, Chicago. PiX decided to take a closer look at the recent Sit_Down_Please exhibit that was created by Confindustria Ceramica this past spring. We talked to attendees at the tradeshows where the exhibit was on display, to get their reactions and thoughts about the convergence of tile and furniture. BACKGROUND It all started back in 2006, when Confindustria, in collaboration with exhibit curator Aldo Colonetti, commissioned a group of nine designers/architects to create a series of chairs clad with Italian ceramic tile that celebrate the versatility of the material. Working with famed architect Mario Botta, the result was a thought-provoking exhibit developed to explore the unique crossover between the worlds of architecture, furniture, and Italian tile. Launching simultaneously at the famed Triennale during the 2007 I Saloni Fair in Milan, Italy and Coverings 2007 in Chicago, IL, it then went on to the Merchandise Mart for NeoCon 2007. In addition to the ETRURIA design bench, created by Arizonabased modernist architect Michael P. Johnson (based on the Golden Ratio), the exhibit featured the works of the following designers/architects: Marco Acerbis (StepbyStep), Michela e Paolo Baldessari (Leia), Riccardo Blumer (Earthframe), Diego Grandi (Double C), Giulio Iacchetti (Zerobench), Massimo Iosa Ghini (In Attesa), Setsu & Shinobu Ito (Arrow), Paolo Ulian (Side Shadow). Show guests tested out the durability and comfort of these innovative chairs. Ranging in design from an undulating shape that resembles a park bench to a high-back lounge covered in tiles that look like crocodile skin, each and every one of these tile-clad seats, passed with flying colors. PiX sat down with several leading industry decision-makers and asked them to share their perspectives on the traveling sit_down_please exhibition. In particular, we asked if these chairs were viable products for the future and if they could see a market for them. MILAN ((April 118-23, 22007) Mario Botta’s contribution to the project was Guscio, which means shell, a giant avant-guarde arch created entirely with stateof-the-art materials from Floor Gres. It covered the staircase in the Triennale building. According to Aldo Colonetti, “Visitors to the Triennale were able to climb the stairs inside the shell – following a kind of ritual passage from the earth to the product and from material to form.” As they emerged from the stairs, attendees arrived on the mezzanine where they could literally experience the Sit_Down_Please exhibit.” Fabio DiLiberto, Senior Design Strategist, Design Continuum in Milan added, “I found the exhibit to be fascinating because ceramics have such surprising potential. I was initially a bit skeptical, as tile can seem like a cold material, which you don’t think of using for seating. The chairs on display were a completely new and interesting application, which I think works well in public or outdoor spaces. The larger formats are particularly appropriate as there are fewer grout lines. In the context of the Milan Triennale this exhibit was presented more as an art installation – almost on a pedestal in a museum. Next time, I would love to see them out in the garden or down at the Triennale bar where people could have really used them.” Rita Catinella, Senior Product Editor for Architectural Record Magazine had this to say, “I think combining tile with seating can be a viable product idea, for specific uses. Perhaps in a bathroom, poolside, steam room, or spa. I think that tile seating would be hygienic and waterproof, but the architect would have to work to make sure it was also comfortable. I often see tile tables in home stores and there is something substantial about them.” COVERINGS ((April 117-20, 22007) At Coverings, the exhibit, which featured six of the nine chairs, was located adjacent to the Ceramic Tiles of Italy centerpiece stand and served as the perfect complement to the tile innovations that were on display throughout the Italian pavilion. With the show’s new Chicago location, Coverings 2007 attracted a record number of architects and designers (up 80% from previous years) and drew scores of journalists who were eager to share their ground-breaking new finds with the design community. According to Katie Weeks, Senior Editor Contract Magazine “I’ve found that exhibits like this are always a lovely visual treat at trade shows. These vignettes usually push the limits a bit more, combining innovative thinking to reinterpret an everyday concept or object with an unusual mix of materials. As a result, it’s not only the designers behind the products that think outside of the normal constraints, but also the passersby, who are inspired by the final creations. Not every piece may work in a practical setting, but the thought behind each one may lead to an exciting discovery down the road.” Weeks added, “The viability of these chairs depends entirely on the context of where it would be specified. It may not, for instance, be appropriate for the most corporate of settings. However, given the ever-emerging presence of art in the workplace, a visual offering like this chair could work in more spaces. I could see this being showcased by both furniture retailers and tile retailers, although I’m not sure who should handle distribution.” Weeks concluded, “I also think that as the general public’s awareness of design—and of its impact on our everyday lives—continues to increase, we’ll continue to see an expanding cross-over between tile and furniture as both designers and clients look to play around for a unique angle. One-of-a-kind things (even if they’re actually mass produced) have so much appeal that something unique like a chair made of tile would probably catch a number of people’s eye.” Architect Phu Hoang, Principal of the New York-based firm Phu Hoang Architects and formerly of Bernard Tschumi Architects added, “As an architect, I very much enjoy seeing a creative new use for a material that I often specify for my projects. Tile is typically seen as an architectural surface, the exhibit provoked thinking about tile applications at a totally different scale and materiality.
Hoang continued, “Given the highly-technical qualities associated with Italian ceramic tile, I think the product could be great for outdoor furniture. I can envision the product being sold at furniture retailers with outdoor furniture lines. Since furniture design is at the human scale, ceramic tile offers great possibilities for mediating between different scales. Large-scale applications of tile are possible because of a relatively small-scale tile module. Thus, the flexibility of the ceramic tile module offers many design opportunities from the scale of furniture to the scale of architecture.” According to Mario Paone, President of Fyndit and former CEO of Hastings Tile, Il Bagno Collection, “I thought the exhibit was great – both aesthetically pleasing and well executed. It was interesting to see a product that I always think about as “hard” reinvented as a “soft” surface. It was very inventive! I think that these chairs would be great in an outdoor setting or as an accent/art piece in an interior setting. They were so colorful that they would enhance any area of the house. We are seeing a greater range of applications for ceramic and it seems natural that it would start being specified more and more for furniture. It is so decorative that it lends itself to tabletops, etc.” NEOCON ((June 99-11, 22007) Due to the overwhelming international and domestic success of the exhibit, the six provocative chairs from Coverings were brought to ASCTEX pavilion at NeoCon 2007 for a visual treat. Located on the 7th floor of the massive Merchandise Mart, the exhibit was a show favorite with flocks of visitors gathering inside it for mini meetings and coffee breaks. Edie Cohen, Deputy Editor, Interior Design Magazine noted, “I saw the chairs in this exhibit as true art pieces. Ceramic as a material has limitless potential. Its viability for furniture is dependent on the vision of the designers and the potential of the material. These chairs were so fabulous that I could see them being sold in a highly-curated design store.” Cohen continued, “I found it extremely interesting to note that although the Sit_Down_Please exhibition was set up as a “look” exhibit, people were drawn in and made the chairs their own. Attendees were using the space as remote offices/meeting areas – and inviting other attendees in to eat lunch!” Cathy Zekes, Visual Arts Instructor in Columbus Ohio, responded, “I loved the contrast of color and linear form. When I think of seating, I generally envision a curvaceous chair. These works remind me of the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. I never thought I would see tile used in this sort of application. It really takes it out of it traditional flooring context, which makes it interesting and inspiring!” The chairs truly affected attendees at all of the exhibitions. Any new concept that makes people re-consider traditional assumptions and applications should be considered a great success. Sit_Down_Please will be in Toronto for Neocon on 27th and 28th September 2007. PiX will keep you posted on any future locations for this popular exhibit. Golden Ratio Bench. Dettaglio della seduta realizzata con i prodotti ETRURIA design. Golden Ratio Bench. Detail of the seat created with the ETRU- RIA design products. PiX Club è la nuova iniziativa di ETRURIA design tesa ad implementare il coinvogimento dei professionisti, come ulteriore sviluppo di una delle principiali finalità per cui PiX è nato e continua a crescere. PiX Club si inserisce nella serie di nuove iniziative di comunicazione e visibilità che includono tra l’altro il rinnovamento delle pagine web. Compilando il breve questionario on-line presente sul sito www.etruriadesign.it è possibile iscriversi a PiX Club ed ottenere una serie di servizi esclusivi dedicati ai membri: - essere informati di eventi e notizie in anteprima; - consultare l’anteprima digitale della copia dei nuovi numeri di PiX; - ricevere materiale specificatamente studiato; - consultare il Listino Prezzi in vigore; - trovare le voci di capitolato per tutti i prodotti ETRU- RIA design; - avere accesso ad un’area riservata sul sito, in cui presto sarà possibile scaricare la libreria dei prodotti in 3d, per l’utilizzo nei programmi di progettazione; - disporre di uno spazio web personale in cui pubblicare i propri progetti e realizzazioni con ETRURIA design; - essere coinvolti nelle iniziative che saranno progressivamente varate dall’Azienda con la consulenza scientifica di Design&Sinergie. The PiX Club is a new ETRURIA design initiative aimed at implementing the involvement of professionals, as a development of one of the main purposes for which PiX was established and continues to grow. The PiX Club is one of a series of new initiatives involving communication and visibility, which also include a revision of web pages. By filling in the brief online questionnaire on the site www.etruriadesign.it you can join the PiX Club and obtain a series of exclusive services for members only: - the first to be informed of upcoming events and the latest news; - consulting the digital copy of the new editions of PiX before it comes out; - receiving specifically designed material; - consulting current Price List; - finding specification entries for all ETRURIA design products; - access to a reserved area on the web site where you can download the library of 3D products to use in design programmes; - a personal web space where you can publish your own projects and works created with ETRURIA design; - involvement in the initiatives which will progressively be implemented by the company with the scientific consultancy services of Design&Sinergie. 35
Page 1 and 2: PiX Pi Interiors & Components Ansel
Page 3 and 4: Andrea Ligabue Presentazione Presen
Page 5 and 6: Paolo Martegani editoriale editoria
Page 7 and 8: Chicago, aprile 2007. In occasione
Page 9 and 10: Some major works by the two archite
Page 11 and 12: Paolo Martegani IT abroad È possib
Page 13 and 14: Logotipo dell’”Esposizione Perm
Page 15 and 16: le (basti pensare a Dubai). Gli sca
Page 17 and 18: leries and arcades, from Milan to G
Page 19 and 20: Da una decina d’anni il modo di p
Page 21 and 22: The way TV scenery is designed has
Page 23 and 24: Progetti&Realizzazioni Uno scambio
Page 25 and 26: s’inserisce perfettamente nell’
Page 27 and 28: nuous enhancement of our cultural h
Page 29 and 30: that for all American things of the
Page 31 and 32: Mauro Corsetti La ceramica evoluta
Page 33 and 34: architettura, design e diamanti tec
Page 35: La mostra Sit_Down_Please attravers
Page 39 and 40: Paolo Martegani Giulia Ligabue Ghis

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