Alessandro Mendini

Alessandro Mendini (1931-2019) advocated for "radical design" in the 1970s and later joined the "Studio Alchimia", which led to the formation of the Memphis Group. He founded the ideas of "Re-Design" and of "Banal Design". Mendini's creations sport extravagant shapes and bright colours. He designed the Anna G corkscrew for Alessi and worked for Swatch and other international brands. Alessandro Mendini also designed furniture and lights for Artemide, Kartell, Kundalini, Zanotta and Magis.

After studying architecture in Milan, Mendini was editor in chief of several design magazines and co-founded the Domus Academy, a school for architecture and design. He was also involved in movements advocating for a radical change in the fields of architecture and design, such as the "Studio Alchimia". He established the idea of re-design by reinterpreting traditional furniture with an unconventional touch of fantasy. With his brother Francesco, hee created the Studio Mendini in 1989, and also worked as a product designer for Zanotta, Cassina, Artemide and Kartell. He also designed numerous architectural projects.

Alessandro Mendini was a trailblazer of postmodernism whose works are characterized by a colourful and playful emotionality, spiced with irony. The Proust armchair by Magis or the delicate Agrilo console by Zanotta reinterprete traditional shapes in a playful manner, while the Macaone table by Zanotta comes as a dynamic shape in primary colours.

The same goes for the lamps by Alessandro Mendini. The Ramun Amuleto table lamp resembles a thin geometric art object, yet fulfills its task light function. For Slide, Mendini created abstract lighting sculptures serving as light sources and decorative object. The Edge light by Mendini for Artemide has a discreet appearance. One corner of the dice-shaped light seems to jut out from the ceiling or wall and creates a stunning effect.