FontanaArte (Bilingual edition): House of Glass

(Hardback)

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FontanaArte. House of Glass is a book that critically examines the legendary Milanese manufacturer of glass furnishings through the production periods lead by its four great artistic directors: Gio Ponti (1932-1933, with continuous involvement thereafter), Pietro Chiesa (1933-1948), Max Ingrand (1954-1967), and Gae Aulenti (1979-1996). From Ponti's founding of the company in 1932 until Aulenti's departure in 1996, the present catalogue - published on the occasion of the major exhibition in Venice - traces FontanaArte's historical stylistic arc through twentieth-century design, from the rational logic of modernism to the playful wit of post-modernism. Throughout, the company set the standards for Italian design: the seamless continuity between the classical ancient past and the technological present; the perfect marriage of art with industry; the superior quality of materials and hand craftsmanship; and the elevation of the everyday object into a luxurious art of living.

Edited by Christian Larsen, the book follows a course divided in chapters focusing on deepening our understanding of each individual designer (Gio Ponti e Pietro Chiesa; Max Ingrand; Gae Aulenti), and the section "House of Glass" meant to evoke a domestic space furnished only with objects by FontanaArte.

The critical essays contained in the exhibition catalogue (by Renata Codello, Christian Larsen, Kellie Riggs, Pierre Martin-Vivier, Andrew Gardner) describe a complex network of relationships expressing the idea of "Vivere nel vetro [Living in Glass]", tracing mostly new uncharted journeys of discovery, open to investigation and research and leading to deeper insights.

Author Bio

Christian Larsen is Associate Curator of Modern Design and Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he is responsible for reorganizing a design collection spanning from 1900 to today. A leading voice in design history and curation, Larsen seeks to elevate the status of this often overlooked field. Prior to this he was curator at the Wolfsonian-Florida International University (2013-15). More recently, he curated Ettore Sottsass: Design Radical, an alternative retrospective of the visionary Italian architect and designer.