Design Market visited the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris to see the exhibition "Franco Albini, la sostanza della forma", on view through May 30, 2016. This beautiful retrospective is the result of the collaboration of the publisher Cassina, the architecture professor Giampiero Bosoni, the Fondazione Franco Albini and of course the Italian Cultural Institute.
Who was Franco Albini (1905-1977)?
Franco Albini was an Italian architect, designer and university professor. Known for his rigor, he is one of the great figures of Italian rationalism. He is the author of many successful projects: the INA offices in Parma, the Line 1 stations in Milan, the Rinascente in Rome and iconic furniture: the "Fiorenza" armchair (1952), the "Infinito" shelves (1957), the "AM/AS Series" lamp (1969) etc. His creations are united around a common point: they reflect the designer's desire to combine tradition and modernity. Franco Albini graduated in architecture in 1929 at the Polytechnic of Milan. Later, he met the famous Italian designer Gio Ponti, worked with him and then decided to found his own design and decoration firm. In 1939, Albini gets noticed: he designs a radio made of glass and thus makes the mechanism of the object visible. The transparency shocks and the radio will never be produced. The designer will have to wait for his collaboration with Cassina and Poggi during the 1950s to achieve the success he deserves.
"La sostanza della forma"
The exhibition"la sostanza della forma"is the first French retrospective dedicated to the work of the great designer. Through the furniture, documents and photos presented, Giampiero Bosonia wanted to highlight the various series of construction projects, furniture and installations of the designer. Albini's rationalist approach and deep desire to establish a link between tradition and modernity appear to us as a matter of course, as the pieces on display are so revealing of his ambitions.
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Red "Tre Pezzi" armchair (1959) / "Margherita" armchair (1955)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3991" align="aligncenter" width="619"]
Documents on the construction of the Palazzo Bianco museum and the Ina offices in Parma[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3993" align="aligncenter" width="637"]
Photos from the 1950s, taken at the Casa della Cultura in Milan[/caption]
Since 2007, furniture publisher Cassina has obtained the rights to reproduce some of the designer's pieces, such as the "Luisa" armchair (1949-1955), a small seat resting on a steel frame, upholstered in expanded polyurethane and featuring American walnut, natural ash or black-stained finishes. This iconic piece was awarded the La Rinascente Prize in 1955 at the Compasso d'Oro ceremony, the first European award for furniture from Italian industrial production. [caption id="attachment_3986" align="aligncenter" width="612"]
The red Luisa chair[/caption]
The beautiful "Cavalletto" bedside table (1950) has a frame and top of American walnut or natural or black-stained ash. The two copper tie rods have the function of bracing. Cavalletto means "trestle" in Italian, a way to evoke the lightness and art of construction. [caption id="attachment_3988" align="aligncenter" width="631"]
The "Cavalletto" table The perfection of these reproductions is the happy consequence of a rigorous study of the existing models and original documents of Franco Albini. The production of these pieces is the result of the combination of modern techniques and traditional carpentry. [caption id="attachment_3995" align="aligncenter" width="795"]
Photographs of Franco Albini's iconic pieces[/caption]
Italian Cultural Institute of Paris 50, rue de Varenne 75007 Paris Open Monday through Friday, 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm
