Vitra

La Mamma Miniature textile red / Gaetano Pesce (1969)

“Located in Weil am Rhein in Germany (near the Swiss border), the Vitra Design Museum is a privately funded museum that showcases the unique design collection of the Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra. The Vitra Design Museum collection is one of the most important furniture design collections in the world. It contains around 7,000 pieces of furniture, more than a thousand lighting pieces, numerous archives and the inherited series of famous designers such as Charles & Ray Eames, Verner Panton and Alexander Girard. The Vitra Design Museum's collection of miniatures, which started more than 20 years ago, is an illustration of the milestones in the history of design. This collection encompasses the entire history of industrial furniture from the 1800s to present day, creating a pathway through time leading to the creation of modern seating, from historicism and Art Nouveau to Bauhaus and New Objectivity, Radical Design and Postmodernism to present day. A magnificent collection of emblematic works is presented to you. These chairs that have taken their place in history all carry the memories of their times: Materials, shapes, colours... They reveal the often forgotten dreams of their time, the (sometimes utopian) aspirations of their designers, but above all to their vision of the world. The chairs are reproduced on a one-sixth scale and faithfully replicate the original historical model down to the smallest details in the design, material and colour shade. This precise detail is also applied to the wood grain, the reproduction of the screws and the meticulous methods of handcrafting. These miniatures are not only valuable collector's items, but are also an educational tool for universities, design schools and architects. Rolf Fehlbaum, President of Vitra: “We can deduce and understand an era, its social order, its materials, its techniques and its taste by observing its chairs. I should point out that no other everyday object offers such diversity.” In 1969, Gaetano Pesce created his major work: "Up 5 and Up 6, Donna”, also known as "The Mamma of the Up armchair series”. Above all, Gaetano Pesce wanted to make this "Mamma" a metaphor for the female gender, a political object as strong as the posters that blossomed throughout Europe in the spring of 1968. His ball-and-chain shaped footrest symbolises the weight of centuries of macho prejudice of which he saw women as prisoners. Gaetano Pesce tells the story of the project: "At the time, I was telling a personal story about what I understand by the word woman: Women have always been unwilling prisoners of their own bodies. That's why I liked the idea of giving this chair the shape of a woman with a ball and chain, the traditional image of a prisoner. The La Mamma armchair is easy to transport despite its impressive dimensions: L 120 x D 130 x H 103 cm. Gaetano Pesce took great care of both the aesthetics and the materials used. B and B Italia revolutionised the design of this upholstered armchair thanks to the moulding technique for large parts. The Up chair does not have a supporting structure, but rather a single block. The chair is vacuum packed, then sealed in waterproof packaging. Its volume is therefore as small as possible. Once the location to install it has been chosen, simply remove the packaging. The air penetrates into the cells of the polyurethane foam, and the Up chair magically returns to its original shape."

In detail:

• Variation : La Mamma

• Brand : Vitra

• Designer : Gaetano Pesce

• Type : Miniature

• Colour : Red

• Material : Elasticated fabric - Polyurethane foam

• Dimensions : L 19 x D 23 cm x H 15 cm
• Weight : 1.1 lb
• Characteristics : Miniatures Collection of the Vitra Design Museum: great classics from the history of modern furniture on a 1:6 scale - Copy of the historical originals down to the last detail - Model: La Mamma, date of creation 1969, designer: Gaetano Pesce - Presented in a valuable wooden gift box with a printed logo and brochure included
• Country of Manufacture : Europe