With a reputation as one of the most important contemporary designers working today, Italian architect Antonio Citterio is known for his uncompromising design vision and dedication to a method-based approach over stylistic solutions.
Luminaire continues its commitment to viscerally connecting the public with contemporary design by hosting muti-disciplinary Italian architect and designer for a lecture and exhibition in Chicago. On Tuesday, June 13, 2017, Citterio presented a lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago which was followed by an opening reception for the inauguration of a month-long exhibition of the designer’s work at the Chicago Showroom. Aiming to uncover the connective stories between process, product, and design, the exhibition features iconic pieces designed by Citterio from renowned brands including B&B Italia, Vitra, and Flos.
Born in Meda, a small city north of Milan in the heart of Italy’s furniture region, in 1950, Citterio decided on a career in architecture at a young age. Throughout his career, he has worked on projects of varying scales; whether working on large scale architectural projects including skyscrapers and buildings or creating accessories and furniture, his innate sensitivity to form and details is present in each of his projects.
In 1973 Citterio began a long-term partnership with renowned furniture brand B&B Italia which continues to this day. He also has designed projects for internationally respected brands including Axor, Flexform, Flos, Kartell, Technogym, and Vitra, among others.
In this exhibition of Citterio’s industrial design, a selection of objects has been curated to explore the connection between process and product. The exhibition also displays multi-media presentations that share the stories and methods behind the featured products. These visual aids will additionally showcase the designer’s architectural works from around the globe which compliment and enrich the storytelling experience of the exhibition.
Antonio Citterio’s design philosophy has always been focused on a method, not a style. The metamorphosis of an idea or an intention, into a project or a product, takes place by means of the alchemy that is the relationship between him as an architect/designer and the client. His all-encompassing design sensibility is reminiscent of the total environments created by Arne Jacobsen. A proponent of rational design, Citterio has produced truly innovative furniture design while paying homage to influences such as Eileen Gray, Charles and Ray Eames, and George Nelson. He is the winner of the Compasso d’Oro Award in 1987 and 1995 and his products are part of the MoMA permanent collection in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Luminaire has shared Citterio’s unique insights about architecture and design with audiences in both Miami and Chicago on several occasions throughout the years. In June 2004, Luminaire was the first to present Citterio’s stunning new lighting collection for Flos. Citterio also discussed his at the opening of Luminaire’s Superior Street location in Chicago in November 1992, and Luminaire welcomed Antonio Citterio and Terry Dwan as guests of honor at “Milan in Miami,” an evening gala and exhibit that celebrated Luminaire’s 21st anniversary in June 1995.
To help Luminaire in the quest for fighting cancer, Citterio participated in PuppyLove and PaperLove to raise funds for the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Research Center. In PuppyLove, the designer transformed a 3D white plastic puppy designed by Eero Aarnio into a fuschia-colored, curly-tailed gift of love. For PaperLove, Citterio celebrated the magical properties of the material, creating ‘In-Out,’ a simple yet eye-catching single piece of white paper enlivened with a pattern of raised and embossed pyramids. Light and shadow playfully created varied shades of gray on the pyramids’ sides as they danced in different directions.
June 2017
