“Tribute to Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni” is an exhibition at the Zanotta Shop in Milan, from 21 October to 7 November 2015, presenting masterpieces of Italian design by the two brothers, items produced by Zanotta for over 40 years, in a surprising installation by the architects Calvi Brambilla, with graphics by Leonardo Sonnoli.

Zanotta has kept nearly all the pieces the Castiglioni brothers designed for the firm starting in 1957 in the catalogue, items first put into production by the company’s founder Aurelio Zanotta, aware of the extraordinary value of those furnishings and accessories.

The installation sums up the “Castiglioni approach,” as the architects Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla explain: “Working with these objects, for us, was a dream come true. We are both fans of the products of the legendary brothers, and serial collectors as well! Focusing on the experimental side of the objects, we have made them live in a playful context: so we have the Mezzadro stools (designed in 1957) that are “ploughing” a piece of meadow, the Allunaggio seats (1965) that land on a planet, and the Sella models (1957) in a state of escape. Irony and function go hand in hand: from the Cumano table (1978) we have extrapolated the coat rack, and from the Primate pew-seat (1970) we have taken the ergonomic design. Meeting the challenge with curiosity and without overlooking anything, as Achille Castiglioni urged.”

Beppe Finessi specifies: “Precisely curiosity, together with humor, the desire to experiment and to set new records, were always the driving forces behind the spirit of Aurelio Zanotta, especially in his collaboration with the Castiglioni brothers. Their relationship and the results of the work together ushered in an absolutely unique period in the history of design. A magical moment that lives on today in the Zanotta catalogue, which stands out for one very simple thing that is aptly narrated by this show: the force of ideas kept in the foreground.”

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10.30 to 19.30

gallery gallery
Sgabello Mezzadro, disegnato da Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni nel 1957 per Zanotta