FontanaArte is all about transforming the mundane commodity into the art of living

House of Glass

By Hristo Lachezarov

From its foundation by Gio Ponti in 1932 until Gae Aulenti's departure in 1966, the Fontana Arte catalogue set a historical stylistic tone in twentieth-century design, from the rationality of modernism to the playfulness of postmodern design.

The company stands at the core of Italian design, representing the marriage between classicism and modern technology, the perfect unity of art and industrial design, and the transformation of the mundane commodity into the art of living.

FontanaArte. House of Glass is a new exhibition curated by Christian Larsen at LE STANZE DEL VETRO and includes pieces from galleries in collaboration with PAMONO.

The exhibition offers a compelling reminiscence on the glass creations from the iconic Milanese company, exploring the production cycles of its four great artistic directors: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, Max Ingrand, and Gae Aulenti.

House of Glass is constructed to highlight the opus of each designer, culminating in a suite designed in the FontanaArte aesthetic by architect Massimiliano Locatelli. The set showcases a Milanese apartment and accentuates the value of FontanaArte in the history of the home: the house of glass, once a dream of modernist architects, was first accomplished as a result of the avant-garde vision of Gio Ponti and Luigi Fontana, who elevated glass from outdoor construction material to a new luxury ideal for interior decoration.

FontanaArte. House of Glass is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue published by Skira, containing essays by leading scholars and a collection of all the pieces shown.

The exhibition is open to the public on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore from April 4th to July 31st, 2022.

  • Text by

    • Hristo Lachezarov

      Hristo Lachezarov

      Further exploring his love for design, Hristo joined PAMONO in 2020 and is currently our B2B Growth Manager, which allows him to work with many amazing architects and interior designers on curating stories like the one you just read.

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