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The Elegant Charm of Italian Design

The influence of “Italian style,” from Michelangelo to Gucci, on every corner of the global village is indeed powerful and wide-ranging. The Korea Foundation Cultural Center recently hosted an exhibition that features the quintessence of Italian design, which had captured the imagination of people around the world.



Bravo Italia! Amidst the splendor of the legendary masterpieces of sculpture, architecture, and painting in Italy, a visitor there might well find himself saying this aloud, at least once and perhaps repeatedly. People can easily see why Italy is said to be at the center of world culture, in the past and even today.

Feast of Italian Design
Bravo Italia! Visitors who come to view the “Italian Style-dressing home” exhibition, which features some 180 items of furniture, lighting fixtures, and tableware items, are likely to share this particular sentiment, in terms of their renewed appreciation for the wonders of Italian design.
Each individual item, from a stylish chair to a basic pot holder, radiates a creative elegance of the Italian lifestyle. The exhibition presents the works of distinguished 20thcentury designers, such as Achille Castiglioni, Alessandro Mendini, Philippe Starck, and Ron Arad, along with representative examples of Italian architecture and lighting items, related to Kartell Zanotta, Artemide, and Flos. Indeed, you can understand how ‘Made in Italy’ has earned its global cachet.
It is a surprise to learn that Luminator, a graceful floor lamp with a modern style, had originally been designed by Pietro Chiesa, for Fontana Arte, back in 1935. In line with this realization, it is apparent that Italian design, from the time of the 1930s to the 1950s, has been far ahead of its time, in addition to continuing to exert considerable influence on contemporary design trends as well.
Of note, the interior design works of Italy exude a charm of their own, based in large part on the use of simple yet elegant lines. Above all, the forms express a natural gracefulness. A basic chair or table, or everyday article, is endowed with a natural character and unique aesthetic. For example, the Arabesco coffee table designed by Carlo Mollino (Zanotta) resembles the term of contours of the body, while the Sushi armchair designed by Carlo Colombo (Zanotta) is so plush with plump pillows that you can come to realize the countless ways in which it is possible to apply innovative design to even ordinary items.
Meanwhile, the use of humorous elements adds another dimension to Italian style. The two chairs, Re (King) and Regina (Queen), by Marcello Pirro are pieces of wooden furniture adorned with the intricate details of a fairytale story, making them appear like the thrones of a legendary king and queen. A table and stool in the shape of a dwarf character of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, with a bright red round top, is known as Napoleone (Napoleon). Designed by Philippe Starck (Kartell), it is a playful reference to Napoleon’s short stature.
The bold use of vivid colors reveals the unmistakable individuality of Italian design. An oversized, bright orange chair, Ploof, designed by Philippe Starck (Kartell); a lounge chair, Form, designed by Piero Lissoni (Kartell) that reminds you of a green meadow; and an exotic looking chair Eros, designed by Philippe Starck (Kartell) in the form of luscious red lips, all combine graceful lines and intense colors to an aura of refinement and sophistication.



Continuous Innovation
Of note, Italian design avoids a sense of exaggeration or gaudiness. Along with adhering to a sense of everyday living, it satisfies function as well as aesthetics. Examples of this “dignity of daily life” can be seen in Mezzadro, designed by the Castiglioni Brothers (Zanotta), a unique work in which a farm tractor seat is used to make a modern chair with a chrome support, Componibili, a red, round modular unit system designed by Anna Castelli (Kartell), Juicy Salif, a delightful lemon squeezer designed by Philippe Starck (Alessi), and even a stylish wine-bottle opener and flyswatter, which exemplify the concept of “life is design.”
The famed reputation of Italian design has been maintained by its continuous efforts to embrace innovation and creativity. After being launched in 1968, Sacco, designed by Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodor (Zanotta), continues to be marketed today, thanks to its enduring appeal. With little regard for the traditional, the Sacco free-form beanbag chair represents a lifestyle of liberation and individuality. La Marie chair, designed by Philippe Starck (Kartell), demonstrates how design innovation is related to form as well as new materials. Various works are made with modern materials, like transparent polycarbonate, which are lightweight, durable, and shock-resistant.



The creative ingenuity of Italian design is readily apparent in a dazzling array of lighting fixtures and equipment. Introduced in 1969, the Boalum, designed by Castiglioni and Frattini (Artemide), is a versatile form of lighting made of transparent plastic tubing filled with colored lights. Because of the tubing’s flexibility, it can be adapted to an endless variety of shapes and spaces.
Above all, Italian design brings together aesthetic elegance, innovation, humor, and practical function in an effort to enhance our daily life. The selected design works, which can harmonize even contradictory aspects, like everyday function versus artistic values, and traditional craftsmanship versus modern innovation, are on display at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center through February 20, 2010. The exhibition has been co-organized by the Sartirana Art Foundation in Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, the Italian Embassy, and the Korea Foundation. (Admission is free).

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