Tag Archives: Futurism

Book review: FuturBalla, Life Light Speed

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I have long been intrigued by the Italian futurists. Radical in its early days, the movement was fascinated by progress, speed, modernity. When researching The Life Negroni, we travelled around Italy in search of arts and ideas, of elements that make this classic cocktail so timeless and so special. We soon realised how interlinked the Negroni is with this creative movement when we came across the rich futurist archives at the homes of Campari and Martini in Milan and Piedmont – private collections bursting with rare and unseen works of art. So, I was hugely excited to receive a book dedicated to the work of one of the pioneers of this movement Giacomo Ballà.

FuturBalla: Life Light Speed is edited by Ester Coen and published by Skira

His inventive and innovative style helped forge a fundamental link between Italian art and the classic avant-garde. Ballà was born into an exciting historical time for Italy, in Turin in 1875. His family soon moved to the new capital Rome where the young artist developed his original style rich in glowing streaks, bold contrasts of light and dark, a daring perspective and a love of detail.

Ballà was fascinated by the power and speed, the machine age and in particular cars which he saw as characteristics of modernity. In his studies between 1912 and 1924 entitled Iridescent Interpenetrations, Ballà began embracing futurism through the colourful synthesis of individual elements of light, and in Line of Speed and Abstract Speed – The Car (both 1913) he explores movement and dynamism in a rapidly evolving society. Abstract Speed – The Car hangs in the Tate Modern in London and is well worth visiting.

FuturBalla: Life Light Speed presents the work and life of Ballà. This is the most complete monograph on the artist presenting works from public and private collections, Tate Modern and Estorick Collection in London, Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo and the Israel Museum of Jerusalem. The 200 colour illustrations here are supported by insightful essays by the editor, the art historia Ester Coen and contributors Vincenzo Barone, Zelda De Lillo and Luca Francesco Ticini.

FuturBalla: Life Light Speed is edited by Ester Coen and published by Skira

Nargess Banks

Design Talks | The Textile Building | 29a Chatham Place | London | E9 6FJ | UK
Design Talks is published by Spinach Design
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The Life Negroni, an ode to the sweet life

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This month saw the publication of a book that I’ve been working on for over a year. The Life Negroni is a labour of love. We travelled through Europe and beyond to meet almost everyone featured in this book, and it has been such an exciting and rewarding project to be involved with.

The book straddles the world of cocktails, spirits and mixology, of art, architecture and design, film, politics and poetry. It delves into the Negroni’s past, discovering the stories behind its component ingredients, and reviews at its timeless influence on art, design, fashion, music, cinema, politics, poetry… the avant-garde.

We go behind the scenes to meet the king of bitters Campari at its stunning modernist headquarters on the edge of Milan. Here we witness the company’s involvement with the Italian Futurists, and see one of the richest collections from this period.

We learn about Vermouth di Torino at Cocchi, and at Martini & Rossi, in an idyllic spot in the beautiful hills surrounding Turin, we see how design and branding were utilised at a time when such concepts were in their infancy.

In London we visit Beefeater, Tanqueray, Sipsmith and Sacred – craft distillers large and small who are preserving the tradition of London Dry gin, and we squeeze our way into the smallest museum dedicated to all things gin at the Ginstitute.

We sample some of the purest and adventurous Negronis at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan, and Fusion Bar and St Regis in Florence, The Connaught, Artesian, Blue Bar, Salvatore’s at the Playboy Club, Shangri-La at The Shard and Frank’s Cafe in London, the Negroni Bar in Munich, and at the Waldorf Astoria, Lincoln Centre, Parker Palm Springs in America.

Above all we meet the custodians, the guardians of the Negroni. Mixologists, bartenders, fashion designers, car designers, yacht makers, filmmakers and artists past and present who champion this simple cocktail.

The Life Negroni is ultimately an ode to the sweet life – a celebration of the pleasures of living told through a humble classic cocktail.

Hope you enjoy!

Nargess Banks

… and the reviews are coming in. Read what The Spectator, Time Out, Urban Junkies and Form Trends had to say about the book, have a browse through the testimonials here, follow us on facebook, twitter and instagram @Thelifenegroni

Purchase a copy here.

#Thelifenegroni

…. and some kind words by some of our reviewers and readers:

‘Absolutely stunning! This book is destined for greatness,’ Sam Galsworthy, co-founder of Sipsmith

‘The Life Negroni is a gorgeous book offering voyeuristic insights into a way of life which may never have existed anywhere other than the imagination, but one that is no less intoxicating for that. … I was reminded of Luc Sante’s epic No Smoking of 2004, a masterpiece of book design. It is an album, a love letter, a guide, a memoir and a rich source of graphic delight. Only hedonists would enjoy such a thing,’ Stephen Bayley, aesthete, design critic and co-founder of London’s Design Museum

‘Be warned: this is a gripping read,’ Time Out, London

‘The book is FABULOUS!’ Gary Regan, author and mixologist

‘… Like the drink, the book drips European post-war cool. It even manages to juxtapose Florence’s Ponte Vecchio with the Playboy Club…It’s a book in thrall to the Italian idea of sprezzatura, a kind of off-the-cuff stylishness that you can trace back to Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courier. And it’s just possible it might make you a little thirsty,’ Teddy Jamieson.

‘I am obsessed with it, pouring over each beautiful page, and carrying it all over my home. I may even change my Facebook status to “In a Relationship” with…’ Mariena Mercer, chief mixologist The Cosmopolitan of Los Vegas

‘It is struck me as a reminder of how sweet and beautiful life in Italy has been and, in spite of our chronic financial and political dire strait, still is… It brings out elements of the charm and elegance of our country and of our lifestyle that we Italians sometimes have the tendency to overlook or to forget,’ Maurizio Stocchetto, owner Bar Basso, Milan

‘I love the look and feel. The drink itself had me convinced a long time ago!’ Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group director of design

‘Absolutely stunning book… already can see that I am going to love every single page and image,’ Paula Champa, author

‘The book arrived but I could only see it very briefly because Luca Bassani liked it so much that he took it home!’ Monica Paolazzi, on the owner of Wally Yachts

‘I see you found a page even for me… I am honoured,’ Chris Bangle, car designer

‘The Life Negroni is no ordinary cocktail book – it documents the historical, avant-garde, and artistic element to the drink, even down to its botanical origin. It’s like going on the Negroni grand tour. La dolce vita!’ Urban Junkies, London

‘Mille Grazie for taking me on the journey,’ Michele Fiordoliva, co-owner Negroni Bar, Munich

‘It is an honour to be in such a great book with the best bars and colleagues from all around Europe,’ Marco Vezzozi, bar manager Fusion, Florence

‘Liquid history. The Life Negroni, finally out. Honoured to be part of the journey,’ Valentina Dalla Costa, The Unseen, Milan

‘It is even more gorgeous than I thought it would be! I love the size, the canvas feel to the cover… the illustrations inside are just amazing, one after another. It is hard to put it down!!!’ Azadeh Maroufi, New York

‘It is such a beautifully produced book (but I knew it would be),’ Hilary Whitney, Sacred

‘A celebration of the sweet life,‘ Yashu e Prem, Italy

‘The glamour oozes off every page. I was transported to another place and time – one which I wished I could inhabit. I could hear the chink of hand-cut ice cubes, see the perfectly cut suits and smell the waft of expensive perfume. And God did I want a drink!!’ Graham Biggs, BMW Group

Design Talks | 5 – 25 Scrutton Street | Old Street | Shoreditch | London | EC2A 4HJ | UK
Design Talks is published by Spinach Design

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Book review: The Furniture of Carlo Mollino

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Carlo Mollino (1905-73), the maverick Italian designer, created site specific and commissioned pieces that are considered works of art – a 1948 table sold for around $4m at an auction recently setting a world record for a piece of twentieth-century furniture.

The son of a prominent Turin engineer, Mollino joined his father’s firm after graduating from Turin’s Royal School of Architecture in 1931, leaving soon after to pursue his own career as a designer and architect.

He was involved with the avant-garde futurist and the surrealist movements of the time – evident in his highly expressive and sculptural work that contains an almost surreal narrative.

Mollino worked in numerous creative areas including furniture design, architecture, automobile design, theatre, photography, even town planning.

He based his furniture on organic shapes such as animal bones, tree branches and the human body – the female body is very much a dominant theme. Mollino was also keen on researching new materials and technology to create these complex structures.

For instance he developed a construction technique so that the structure seems liberated by the weight of the material as seen on the glass and bentwood Arabesque table (1949), still in production by Italian industrial design firm Zanotta.

Amongst his most notable architectural work is the Società Ippica Torinese headquarters (1935-9) and the Teatro Regio Torinese (1966) both in Turin. He also designed interiors. Experimenting with fabric and lighting, sometimes even creating his own murals, they were often quite theatrical.

The Furniture of Carlo Mollino presents his complete furniture and interior design. A collaborative effort with the Turin’s Museo Casa Mollino, and written by the museum’s curators Napoleone Ferrari and Fulvio Ferrari, this extensive monograph emphasises the contemporary significance of Mollino’s pioneering work.

Leafing through the pages of this informative and beautifully illustrated book, you can’t help being overwhelmed by how much pure original thought and artistic expression has gone into his every design and every creation. The result is that his furniture pieces are not just well executed but sensual, evocative and completely timeless.

The Furniture of Carlo Mollino by Fulvio Ferrari and Napoleone Ferrari is published by Phaidon. You can purchase this book and a comprehensive selection of design books on our new on-line bookstore opening on Design Talks soon.

Purchase this book here on the DT Bookstore.

Nargess Shahmanesh Banks

Design Talks | 5 – 25 Scrutton Street | Old Street | Shoreditch | London | EC2A 4HJ?W | www.d-talks.com | Bookshop www.d-talks.com/bookshop | Published by Banksthomas

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