Histoire d’une icône: Kartell celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Componibili
“The anniversary of Anna Castelli Ferreri’s Componibili is a special and rich of meaning event, for narrating Kartell’s origins and the deep roots, but also for representing an absolute novelty in the history of design, becoming an icon of the industrial product.” Claudio Luti, Kartell’s president.
Colorful, functional and suitable to every setting: the Kartell Componibili, ideated by Anna Castelli Ferreri in 1967 and considered design icons, this year celebrate their 50th anniversary. An important finish line for the first modular containers, with a round shape and the ability to fasten into one another like little bricks, creating infinite combinations. For the occasion, the company decided to engage internationally famous designers, inviting them to realize a personal reinterpretation of the object.
Revolutionary products, among the most appreciated and sold Kartell’s products for their timeless style, the Componibili appeared for the first time with the name of “mobile 4970/84”. At the beginning were made of plastic with injection molding. Then come the ABS, a thermoplastic resin particularly resistant, with innovative mechanical and esthetical properties. The introduction of plastic in the domestic furnishing perfectly reflects the identity of Kartell, the company founded by the engineer Giulio Castelli.
Anna Castelli’s major merit is in having foreseen the importance of concepts like modularity and composability, and a new way of decorating spaces with freedom and flexibility, values at the basis of modern culture. Nowadays, the Componibili are part of the permanent expositions of the MOMA in New York and of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Tribute to Componibili. 50th Anniversary, the collection of 15 artworks paying homage to Kartell Componibili, is the feather in the cap of the celebrations, with real artistic creations, unique in their creative interpretations. Among the great names taking part in this project, Ron Arad, Mario Bellini, Antonio Citterio, Ferruccio Laviani, Piero Lissoni, Alberto Meda, Alessandro Mendini, Nendo, Fabio Novembre, Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Tokujin Yoshioka and the brands Emilio Pucci e Missoni, without considering a special Disney version. The works will be on tour in the international museums and in Kartell’s worldwide stores.
Smiling and expressive faces: Fabio Novembre’s version of the Componibili is not without irony.
Mario Bellini brushes up Andy Warhol’s pop art.
Nendo realizes a whole family of Kartell-style objects, rigorously in white.
In Philippe Starck version, little gnomes hold up black, lucid mini-containers.
Ron Arad presents a model celebrating color and calling to mind the famous LEGO bricks.
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