Alessi Bottle opener Multicoloured Plastic material. Dimensions: Ø 6 x H
21 cm. Listen up, collectors, design fans and anyone who’d like to rediscover
the essential figures of Italian design! Iconic Italian brand Alessi is
celebrating its 100th anniversary with the Alessi 100 Values Collection: this
collection celebrates the values that define the identity and practice of the
Dream Factory (Fabbrica dei Sogni). A collection of surprising objects, from
the Alessi Museum's Archive Fund, which includes projects that have never been
produced before, brand-new versions of cult objects as well as icons in the
making. A dozen projects, each referring to a different value, will be
presented over twelve months, from May 2021 to April 2022. Alessi 100 Values
Collection celebrates 100 years of applied arts research and the start of a new
century of experimentation. Alessi's fourth value in the spotlight is
Hybridisation: the hybridisation superbly emanating from a new version of the
most famous pair of corkscrews in Italian design by Alessandra Mendini
(1931–2019). For the occasion, Anna G. and Alessandro M. deaped themselves in
Galla Placidia dreamy decor, designed by Alessandro Mendini himself in
1984. Alessandro Mendini found his inspiration for creating this iridescent
play of forms and colours in the splendour of the light, colours and mosaic
ceilings of the small Ravenna mausoleum, dedicated to Galla Placidia, daughter
of Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great, where the rigour of the lines uniquely
contrasts with the bold and dreamlike hues. In this unique version, the precious
dress inspired by expressive art emphasises the softness and delicateness of
these corkscrews. Alberto Alessi explains: The hybridisation is a blend of
various cultures and disciplines. The focus of Alessi's fabric brands is justly
our desire to combine design culture with industrial culture, a difficult task
which requires constant attention in the search for dialogue, somewhere between
poetics and the market, to create an object that can be seen as a compromise,
but which in reality is a small design masterpiece. For me, it seems that
hybridisation is a fundamental aspect of the design work of Alessandro Mendini,
who has always loved broadening his horizons with influences from other fields.
As for Anna G. and Alessandro M., both dressed in a multitude of different
styles over the years, this new version still plays on hybridisation by
conjugating the cultivated world of design with the ornamental excesses found in
fashion. After having been used on several occasions for architectural work or
furnishings, the Galla Placidia pattern created by Mendini (1984) gives a new
shine to this part of design portraits today. These future collectors' items are
dedicated to passionate collectors of unique objects and to the external
admirers of Alessandro Mendini's work. The thermoplastic resin body is
decorated with a hand-applied transfer. The mechanism is made using
chrome-plated Zamac and laminated steel.
