Enzo Mari

Enzo Mari (27 April 1932[1][2] – 19 October 2020) was an Italian modernist artist and furniture designer who is known to have influenced many generations of industrial designers.[3][4]

Enzo Mari
Enzo Mari in his studio in Milan, 1974
Born(1932-04-27)27 April 1932
Novara, Kingdom of Italy
Died19 October 2020(2020-10-19) (aged 88)
Milan, Italy
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1978)​
Websiteenzomari.com

Early life and education

Mari was born in Novara, Italy and he studied at the Brera Academy in Milan, Italy from 1952 to 1956.[5]

Career

He drew inspiration from the idealism of the arts and crafts movement and his political views as a communist.[6]

From 1956 onward, he specialized in industrial design and created a portfolio of more than 2,000 works.[5] In the 1960s, he published a series of books, including "The Apple and the Butterfly," a book of illustrations depicting the story of a caterpillar and an apple, without any text.[7]

In the 1970s as a professor at The Humanitarian Society, he founded the Nuova Tendenza art movement in Milan.[8] Also in that decade, he designed the Sof Sof chair[9] and the "Box" chair.[10] In 1974, Enzo Mari created a book entitled, Autoprogettazione, which deals with the DIY construction of furniture.[11] In the 1980s, he designed the modernist Tonietta chair.[12]

Mari taught at University of Parma, the Accademia Carrara, and the Milan Polytechnic.[8]

Multiple works by Mari have been on display at the Museum of Modern Art.[13] He had retrospective shows in Turin,[14] and an important presentation of his work in the "Adhocracy" show, during the first Istanbul Design Biennial. In addition, the Triennale, Milan is exhibiting a tribute to Mari.[15]

He donated the archive of his designs to the city of Milan on the condition that it may not be displayed for 40 years.[5]

Personal life

Mari married art historian Lea Vergine in 1978. They had known each other since the 1960s.[16] He died on 19 October 2020, at the age of 88, due to COVID-19, during the pandemic in Italy.[17] His wife died a day later, also from COVID-19.[18]

Awards and recognition

Selected quotes

-"Form is everything."[6]

-"Design is dead."[6]

-"I want to create models for a different society."[22]

References
  1. Moliterno, Gino (11 September 2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Italian Culture. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-75877-7.
  2. "ENZO MARI". Avantgarde Museum.
  3. Green, Penelope, Enzo Mari, Industrial Designer Who Kept Things Simple, Dies at 88, The New York Times, October 30, 2020
  4. Basciano, Oliver, Enzo Mari Obituary, The Guardian, November 1, 2020
  5. "enzo mari has died aged 88". Design Boom. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  6. Rawsthorn, Alice (2 October 2008). "Enzo Mari: A rebel with an obsession for form". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  7. "The Apple and the Butterfly". Present & Correct. Archived from the original on 29 March 2009.
  8. "Enzo Mari". Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  9. "Sof Sof Chair". MoMA Catalog. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  10. ""Che fare" by Enzo Mari and Gabriele Pezzini". Design Addcit. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  11. "Enzo Mari's Autoprogettazione". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  12. "MoMA: Tonietta Chair". MoMA Catalog. MoMA. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  13. "Works on Display: Enzo Mari". NYMOMA Catalog. NYMOMA. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  14. "Enzo Mari: A view on the immensity". Ego Design. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  15. "Enzo Mari curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli | Triennale Milano". www.triennale.org (in Italian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. Hilburg, Jonathan (20 October 2020). "Italian design legend Enzo Mari dies, a day before his wife, Lea Vergine". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. Morto Enzo Mari, icona del design italiano e mondiale (in Italian)
  18. Morta Lea Vergine, la critica d'arte scompare il giorno dopo suo marito Enzo Mari: era ricoverata con lui in ospedale (in Italian)
  19. "Enzo Mari e il compasso d'oro". Floor Nature (in Italian). 21 June 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. "Current Honorary Royal Designers". The RSA via Archive.org. May 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. "Addio a Enzo Mari, maestro del design". Adnkronos (in Italian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. "ENZO MARI Edition | CUCULA".
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