Unexpected design: the hidden face of objects

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Driade, Melt Me

Objects that pose the question of being or not being what they seem. Imagining them in an unexpected way is exactly what their authors, from Nika Zupanc to Lorenzo Damiani, have done

They are the formal polar opposite of their true function. Or, rather, they are not at all what they seem to be. They are objects that, due to the divertissement of their creators, all former participants in the SaloneSatellite, deviate from the usual canons. To surprise and entertain. We have selected some of them because they are intriguing or ironic or simply elegant. Always, however, for the sake of the design.

salonemilano, campeggi — Campeggi, Underdog - Ph Luca Caizzi

Looking like an X-large trolley when closed, with outsize wheels and a bicycle stand, Underdog is a multi-functional piece designed by Lorenzo Damiani for Campeggi, an iconic company in convertibles. In reality, it conceals a dual soul: first an unconventional seat and, then, with a few simple moves, an inflatable bed. A nomadic object that, in addition to recalling the large suitcases of our emigrants, tied up with string and cords, is dressed in its function with a mechanism of visible elastic straps. "It can be regarded as the classic extra bed,” explains its maker, "but also as an occasional sofa to be exhibited without inhibitions.” Though it’s called underdog," Damiani continues, "I believe that the so-called 'makeshift bed' can be considered an underdog object almost by definition, yet in times of need, it becomes the only way to solve an urgent need.

salonemilano, de castelli — De Castelli, Xilo

The Xilo coffee table created by Delineo Studio for De Castelli evokes a precious fabric with ethnic overtones, elegantly spread over a flat surface. Made from thick brass plates of different lengths, rounded at the ends, folded, and then placed side by side to resemble the fringes of a fabric, it almost seems to float in space thanks to this rhythmic effect. Surprisingly, each structural element has a distinctive texture made up of delicate imprints, which reflect the fine manual workmanship in dialogue with the smooth surface of the less exposed parts. The piece makes a strong sculptural impact, with a refined and sinuous lines evoking an Art Nouveau aesthetic and highlighting the continuous experimentation with design and research into materials, combined with fine craft thinking and making, a distinctive feature of the Treviso-based company for four generations, producing surprising results like this.

The Melt Me capsule collection of lacquered ceramic objects, created by Nika Zupanc for Driade, is witty and amusing. “I strive to design timeless, elegant and evocative objects," explains the Serbian designer, "that present themselves with an unpredictable touch, a surprising detail, a different approach to understanding. And it is precisely this decidedly unusual process that leads to a piece in the shape of an X-large lipstick to serve as a jewelry box (Kiss Me), or the half cherry lying on a surface to serve as a tray with a cloche (Cherry Me Up), or the half heart pierced by the inevitable arrow to hide its true identity as a sugar bowl, but announced by its name (Sweet Me Up). Objects differing from each other in functions and forms – the mini-collection includes a small mirror – all inspired by pop culture, both aesthetically and symbolically, and united by the colors red and black in dialogue with gold.

Then there are the Shift mirrors, designed by Francesca Lanzavecchia for Fiam, which look like imposing painting-sculptures, expressing the expertise in glass fusion of the Pesaro-based company, a pioneer in glass furnishings. "A set of plastic and mono-material accessories generated from viscous glass paste, created from the encounter between orthogonal lines and rounded surfaces,” explains the designer. This is a refined family of objects consisting of a large double mirror, to be hung on the wall vertically or horizontally, and a smaller round one, with glass frames made up of two elements: part in transparent glass or cast bronze and back-silvered, part in smoked flat glass or bronze. Dramatized by vertical fluting, veritable unique three-dimensional patterns, the large frames fix the images of the surrounding space reflected in the mirrored part, making the whole a work of art. Paintings in an exhibition.