When the Italian style meets the Spanish excellence: TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection from MARINER

Sometimes great ideas spring from fortuitous encounters as the one that brought together Caterina Licitra, a young, resourceful designer, and Jorge Mariner, member of the board and last generation of MARINER, a family-run furniture and lighting company founded in 1893. Both of them with an important family heritage, both of them with several projects in the pipeline.

TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI collection: how the story started…

“I met the family of Caterina in Florence by chance,” says Jorge, “and over the years we have become good friends. One day Caterina told me that she was working on a furniture collection with some pieces inspired by the designs of Gio Ponti, her great grandfather. She said she considered MARINER the perfect manufacturer to carry out the project”, explains Jorge.

GLACÉ cabinet with Jorge Mariner & Caterina Licitra

Graduated in Arts and Media Communications at the Regent’s University London, Caterina is a young nomad that aims at becoming the worldwide Ambassador of Gio Ponti’s style. “As a long-established manufacturer of exclusive furniture and lighting, MARINER matches perfectly with this project and it has also the required international vocation,” points out Jorge.

The presentation of the TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2017

The international vocation is part of the DNA of the Ponti family. Gio Ponti worked on numerous projects internationally; he was involved in the design of structures in 13 different countries in collaboration with more than 100 different countries. Caterina, the youngest designer in the family, don’t stop travelling and soaking up new experiences and atmospheres.

The PENGUIN coffee table & Caterina Licitra

“But this is not the only thing that Ponti and Mariner share,” explains Jorge. “We are used to working with different noble materials, the same that Gio Ponti used for his pieces: marbles, high-quality natural woods, such as the walnut root wood, lacquers, metals, precious fabrics… We are eclectic and we combine classicism and modernity to create “mobili d’eccezione”, exceptional pieces that express refinement and excellence,” adds Jorge. “And last but not least, we master craftsmanship, which is essential if you want to work at this level”.

The CANDY sofa, TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection: the inverted cornucopias are recurring elements in Gio Ponti’s designs

The TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection comes out of this intriguing marriage between craft and industry, Italian mid-century style, modernity, global vision and the young verve of Caterina. It consists of 8 pieces: dining table, chairs, armchairs, coffee table, pedestal table, cabinet, chaise longue, and sofa. Pieces are manufactured with noble materials such as the Makassar ebony, sycamore, aluminium, steel, glass, marble-like ceramic, alabaster and luxurious fabrics.

The STAR table, TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection

Interview to Caterina Licitra, a young global talent

“I inherited creativity from my great grandfather Gio Ponti, worldwide icon who fused architecture, design and art in the universal symbol of beauty and Italian elegance” Caterina Licitra

• Gio Ponti, your great-grandfather, once said: “Modernity is not about adopting four square-sized pieces of furniture” (Gio Ponti, Domus, 1933). It’s something much more complex, it’s more about living with the highest interest what is expressed by our time in any field, particularly in art and culture. What is modernity for you?

In my opinion, modernity is the hope that all people can satisfy their needs and desires. The design is necessary to construct a happy life.

The BON BON chaise longue, TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection

• What do you mean by design? And in what measure have you let yourself to be influenced by the artistic experience of your great-grandfather?

I have always lived in “design”. I don’t see a barrier between creativity and reality. My great grandfather has taught me that elegance and beauty can’t be bought. It’s more the importance that you give to any moment of your life; this way, your life can be infinite.

Glass & ceramic: solid and transparent elements feature in the STAR table

• Could you tell us a little bit more about your collaboration with the Spanish companies Mariner? How did it start and who came up with the idea of a tribute to Gio Ponti?

My meeting with Jorge Mariner was simple and authentic. These values have no geographical frontiers. This is why we embark together on the project of a line dedicated to my great grandfather Gio Ponti.

Contrast of materials and backlit elements in the GLACÉ cabinet, another nod to Gio Ponti’s creations

• The Penguin and Baby Penguin tables, the Bonbon chaise longue, the Candy sofa, the Glacé cabinet, the Star table, the Jelly chairs and Morosità, the two-seater: which one are you most fond of? And why? We imagine there is a story behind any of them, could you tell us a little bit more…

I love them all, as they were my babies! But if I have to choose one I would go for the Glacé Cabinet, because I have participated in every single stage of its creation. I loved going to the alabaster cave in Tarragona, seeing all the different shades of alabaster, touching this material which is so elegant, antique and yet so trendy…

Backlit alabaster in the GLACÉ cabinet

• The fascination of Gio Ponti for a wide range of styles and cultural references is reflected in his rich portfolio, which will surely continue to influence artists and designers well into the future. But where does Caterina draw her inspirations from?

It’s part of my DNA. I’m happy and at the same time surprised to see the worldwide boom of Gio Ponti…

PINGUIN side tables, TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection

• Is there any other design hero, apart from Gio Ponti? And what is your favourite design piece?

Yes, it’s Pierre Paulin because his work has interpreted the cultural revolution of the 60’s. My favourite piece is “Osaka”, a modular seating system designed back in 1967 with pliable components that are configurable as a sofa, a chaise longue, or even a bed.

Oriental inspirations and mid-century elegance fuse in the MOROSITÀ sofa…

• When and how did you start interesting yourself in product design?

It was when I came back to Europe after my a worldwide journey that took me to different parts of the globe. I immerse myself in different cultures and atmospheres that impressed me a lot and broadened my horizons in terms of colours and shapes: the desert of Qatar, to the piri-piri chicken in Mozambique, the contrast between the Ottoman and the super modern Istanbul, the magical yurts of Mongolia, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India and Thailand. I felt the need and desire to express all I retained through product design.

JELLY chairs, TRIBUTE TO GIO PONTI Collection

• You define yourself a “young nomad”, how do you convey your personal experiences to your work?

The whole world is just a click away from you. People of my age is part of a “young nomad” generation that in just one click can find itself in a new reality.

Luxurious materials: walnut root wood and precious red velvet fabrics provide the CANDY sofa with great personality

• Do you think a designer should have his own style and apply it to all his designs or he should instead reinvent himself each time?

Daniel Buren, for example, is always repeating his icon “stripes” in any location. This is his way of seeing the world. I believe that style follows the creation, not the opposite.

• “The most resistant element is neither cement, nor wood, nor stone, nor steel, nor glass. The most resistant material in construction is art”. This is another famous quote by your great-grandfather, is it still valid for you? According to you, what’s more important: aesthetic or function?

Yes, it’s still valid for me. The contrast between aesthetic and function is an antiquate academic theory, there is not such a contradiction. I like to remind myself that: “Beauty is the most resistant structure and the most resistant material.” By Gio Ponti…

• Colour, light, and texture: which of these elements plays the key role in your creations? Do you have any favourite material? If yes, can you tell us something more about your preference?

Colour, light, material and texture are all the necessary pieces of the puzzle of creation.

• “Vivere alla Ponti” (Living Ponti-style: places where architecture, interiors, and furnishings harmoniously come together, designed to “Live alla Ponti): do you think it is still possible in the XXI century? Would you like to relaunch this concept and adapt it to new lifestyles?

Living Ponti – Style is living simply. The Ponti house is lightness, the spaces are open, he created the concept of sliding doors for extra space and the use of bold colours because what is life without colours..! I believe we can all live “alla Ponti”…

Find more information:

MARINER website

Microsite: http://mariner.es/tributoagiopontibycaterinalicitra/en/

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