The Lightness of Marble ( La Luce del Marmo) shone at the Spaces&Interior exhibition during the Salone in Milan

This was an initiative of IMM ( Internazionale Marmi e Macchine S.p.A ) for the promotion of the Carrara Marble District and was made in partnership with Looping, creative and consulting agency, under the artistic direction of Angelo Dadda, and was supported by Comune di Carrara and ADI – Association for Industrial Design.

A project that highlighted the strong connection between lighting and the more fascinating and noble among the natural materials used in construction and for the realisation of design objects and works of art ……… Marble.

Among this noblest of materials …….. Carrara Marble is definitely the King.

The event was a unique opportunity for the Marble quarrying companies of the Apuoversilies district ( just South of La Spezia on Italy’s west coast, to present to the international public through a design story which enhanced the “marble” material but above all showed the technical and creative skills of the use of the Artisans who designed and produced objects from this beautiful raw material.

Exhibition concepts

The initiative, curated by IMM in partnership with creative advisor – Looping Consulting agency, promoted Carrara’s marble brand and ensure partner companies have the right contacts with the world of design and architecture Internationally.

The project has been conceived as a true exhibition dedicated to design, respecting 3 conducting themes:

1) Carrara marble
2) Lightness
3) Light as an element of material and shape enhancement, consistent with the simultaneous presence of Euroluce at the Show.

Marble products were displayed over a 350 sq. m. area meant to recreate a “museum path” where every object – created as a one-off ad-hoc piece by an Italian Marble producer company in collaboration with a famous designer – was enlightened so as to enhance the beauty of the noble stone material thanks to the know-how of Targetti Sankey (event technical partner)

In addition, there was a B2B area reserved for meetings with architects and designers

As well as a large projection screen on which were shown representative films of quarries and processing works that transform raw material into refined artifacts that the whole world envies.

Block The Rock

The entry Symbol of the exhibition was the monolithic ” Block The Rock “, an imposing Carrara marble block of cleverly illuminated interior that was placed on the square in front of the entrance.

It was empty inside with back-lit rgb dynamic technology and managed using remote modality through a smartphone and represented the typical Cararra quarrying work unit of measurement being a 2mtr by 2mtr square 3mtrs high

Turned off by day, it came alive in the evenings shining of its own light and become a massive lantern among the buildings of Pota Nuova.

The choice of location at The Mall in Porta Nuova, Milan allowed the story of Carrara marble to be brought to international professionals through a natural design dialogue, starting from the fruitful collaboration with the designers involved in the project, to the many meetings with the world of Professionals expected at the Milan fair.

“ We chose a highly qualified and impressive location within the Space & Interiors container because our marble deserves a top-level stage and at the same time partner companies want opportunity is not only a communication operation but also a time of business development for the world of design professionals at international level.

This is the main purpose of the event we are going to field and we will do it through the language of the Architecture and design thanks to the involvement of designers of great importance that will be matched with partner companies

Carrara is synonymous with marble worldwide, but this leadership has to be constantly renewed through actions, communication and promotion projects capable of keeping High the recognizability of the territory and its extraction, industrial and craft abilities ” ……………….  IMM President Fabio Felici

The Exhibition

The communications and promotions plan implemented by IMM Carrara, under the artistic direction of Angelo Dadda (Looping) and sponsored by ADI (the Industrial Design Association) and Carrara Municipality, focussed on the themes of light and lightness applied to marble, in a kind of museum tour created by the eight participating companies: Campolonghi, Errebi Marmi, Fibra, Franchi Umberto Marmi, Garfagnana Innovazione, G.M.C. Graniti Marmi Colorati, Marmi Carrara and Sa.Ge.Van. Marmi.

These companies collaborated with important designers to transform the “White Gold” of Carrara – through their art and passion – to shape visually impressive works of art

The companies, collaborating with important designers, showed marble with art and passion, creating works and products of great visual impact for the occasion.

Works skillfully show the great versatility of use of the white gold from Carrara: not only blocks and slabs, but also pieces of furniture, design and modern artwork

The Collaborators

Erodescape by Kengo Kuma for Franchi Umberto Tomarmi

Among them, the Japanese architect and writer Kengo Kuma – founder, in 1990, of the international studio Kengo Kuma & Associates and famous master renowned for his ability to wisely interpret the concept of lightness related to natural stone – will present with Franchi Umberto Marmi the art installation Erodescape.

Erodescape seems to have been shaped all over the centuries by the slow erosion caused by natural elements, such as water and wind, and not by the sophisticated processes with which the surfaces have been actually sculpted”.

“ Marble, more than any other constructional element, recalls the massiveness and gravity, it is reinterpreted through a dematerialising process which evokes an idea of lightness and smoothness.”  …………………………..Bernarda Franchi, owner of Franchi Umbertoto Marmi

Franchi Umberto Marmi is a leader in the marble industry – from its quarries come the marbles that featured in the design of  “Tower One” of the World Trade Center and its materials will contribute to the creation of the new wing of Mecca in Jeddah.

HER by Fabio Novembre for Campolonghi

Fabio Novembre, a world-renowned architect for his visionary approach to natural stone, in partnership with Campolonghi, has reinvented HER, the iconic anthropomorphic chair by Fabio for Casamania that celebrates the beauty and the elegance of the human body.

” This event in Milan defines a new and important approach by IMM that associates marble to the Made in Italy brand through professional design”  …….. Giuliano D’Angiolo, owner of Campolonghi

Trame by Pietro Carlo Pellegrini for Garfagnana Innovazione

Trame, the project by company bearing the signature of architect Pietro Carlo Pellegrini, will recall emotions, places and “trame”, in the sense of experiences connected to this noble material, in a way to show its intrinsic lightness and plasticity”.

“ With our attendance at the event “La Luce del Marmo”, Garfagnana aims to develop and expand the range application of stone in design. Thanks to the modern levels of applied technology, it is possible to obtain results of lightening and translucence from the most classic material, marble, suggesting it in new applications that up to recent times were inconceivable ” ……………………Stefano Coiai

Architect Pietro Carlo Pellegrini realised the project for Garfagnana Innovazione, ( started in 2011 ) with the aim of developing, through the use of technology, the processing chain of the stone industry and increasing the local transformation system of extracted materials  ie Innovation

The exposed work, Textures, evokes emotions, places and, precisely, plots of this noble material, demonstrating its intrinsic lightness and ductility.

Nicola Venutelli for Errebi Marmi

Nicola Venutelli designed the works for Errebi Marmi S.r.l., a company born of the need to market the extracted materials of Ferdinando Vanelli of G. V. S.r.l. Comar Statuary, Statuary Venato, Venatino, Calacatta and Bardiglio

“Errebi Marmi, attending the Fuorisalone event in Milan, wishes to introduce innovative ways of application of the natural stone material. Indeed, when we talk about marble, we immediately think of floors, claddings or sculptures. Actually, there are many other alternatives of application and uses of marble, and the works in the exhibition are a clear example of that.” ……………. Paolo Majello, head of Errebi Marmi

Errebi participated with two products –Einston and Legaccio – created by the designer Nicola Venutelli.

In the first work, Einstein, energy and matter intersect, just as in the formula of Albert Einstein, summing up the essence of the world.

In the second project, Legaccio, the wastage from marble slab cutting is recovered and the materials, wisely worked, become a refined and essential interior furnishing container

Almost by natural vocation, activity has developed from the beginning of the raw material and has grown over the years thanks to the constant search for new marbles – such as Tobacco Brown, also known as Eramas – and the rediscovery of ancient marbles Italians – for example the Calacatta Cielo, the Calacatta Aurora, the White Lunezia and the CalacattaLunae.

Franco Gemignani and Diana Pelaez Cialdini for Sa.Ge.Van Marni

The modular bookshelf Dotta by Sa.Ge.Van. Marmi was designed by Diana Pelaez Cialdini and Franco Gemignani.

The young Mexican architect Diana Pelaez Cialdini ( born in 1988 ), collaborated with Franco Gemignani, Sa.Ge.Van. Marmi technical director, to develop architectural and design elements entirely made of marble.

In particular, the focus of her study and design is the processing of what, in the jargon of Quarriers, is commonly called “hairline” fractures of the mountain” (“pelo del monte”).

Sa.Ge.Van. Marmi commercializes and enhances, transforming into the Avenza Carrara plant, all the white and “colored” marbles of the Gemignani & Vanelli Marmi company, extracted in Carraro Calocara A-102 quarry

Sa.Ge.Van. Marmi presented DOTTA : a bookcase made of marble paonazzetto marble.

Its added value is also in the use of the material chosen: the “waste” of the mountain, with the idea of ​​enabling a waste element to make it a unique design object, accessible every day.

Free-standing, linear and sober, Dotta combines the beauty of marble in its most basic form with new processing technologies.

The wish to create an object with a unique design through waste material represents a further added value to the project.

Chicco Chiari for Marmi Carrara

Marmi Carrara entrusted to Chicco Chiari, an artist renowned for the marvelous Carrara marble sculptures that resemble the icons of his youth.

Marmi Carrara is the largest company in the stone sector of the Apulian-Versilia region, with 50% of the production of the marble quarries of Gioia, Canalgrande, Lorano, Belgio and Campanile.

“ We firmly believe that every instrument aimed at promoting marble in all its aspects and uses is always valid and productive and the Fuorisalone certainly represents one of the most prestigious showcases attended by the best audience that every entrepreneur can hope for.

For Marmi Carrara this is a valid and very positive experience; The exhibition was set up in a very beautiful and evocative location, and structured to the best for the enhancement of marble. The initiative is definitely to be repeated: we continue on this road and if possible we can make it even better ”  ………………… Carlo Colombi, commercial director of Marmi Carrara

His work, Memories from the Future featured luminescent “ghosts”, inspired by the famous Pacman video game, made of Carrara or Statuary white marble.

The four characters – She, Red, Azur, and Screwball – differentiated each other from the peculiarity of their individual gazes

Alicia Ni & Chen Xiangjing for GMC

Chen Xiangjing, pioneer of the modern Chinese interior design school, is considered among the 10 best designers in the Asian continent, designed the work for GMC Spa.

The company has been working in the marble and granite sector since 1973. GMC’s scrupulous selection of marble and Granites and attention in the entire production process are the key to its’ business success on world markets.

Break the Symmetries: The symmetries of the open scrub are disrupted, rendered geometric and decomposed on this work.

What at first glance can seem like a geometric figure, it actually has nothing but a small center that creates the illusion.

Just like Ying and Yang, the two colors develop from the center geometrically creating harmony and illusion.

Targetti