FontanaArte. House of Glass is a book that critically examines the legendary Milanese manufacturer of glass furnishings through the production periods lead by its four great artistic directors: Gio Ponti (1932-1933, with continuous involvement thereafter), Pietro Chiesa (1933-1948), Max Ingrand (1954-1967), and Gae Aulenti (1979-1996). From Ponti's founding of the company in 1932 until Aulenti's departure in 1996, the present catalogue - published on the occasion of the major exhibition in Venice - traces FontanaArte's historical stylistic arc through twentieth-century design, from the rational logic of modernism to the playful wit of post-modernism. Throughout, the company set the standards for Italian design: the seamless continuity between the classical ancient past and the technological present; the perfect marriage of art with industry; the superior quality of materials and hand craftsmanship; and the elevation of the everyday object into a luxurious art of living.
Edited by Christian Larsen, the book follows a course divided in chapters focusing on deepening our understanding of each individual designer (Gio Ponti e Pietro Chiesa; Max Ingrand; Gae Aulenti), and the section "House of Glass" meant to evoke a domestic space furnished only with objects by FontanaArte.
The critical essays contained in the exhibition catalogue (by Renata Codello, Christian Larsen, Kellie Riggs, Pierre Martin-Vivier, Andrew Gardner) describe a complex network of relationships expressing the idea of "Vivere nel vetro [Living in Glass]", tracing mostly new uncharted journeys of discovery, open to investigation and research and leading to deeper insights.
