
Table - Autoprogettazione
1974
Natural pine wood, black lacquered metal
78½ w X 31½ d X 28½ h in.
199½ w X 80 d X 72½ h cm.
This table was designed by Italian furniture designer Enzo Mari and made in 1974 by Simon (Dino) Gavina as part of the Metamobile project with Ezno Mari. Its concept is derived from Enzo Mari’s seminal book “Autoprogettazione,” which approaches the topic of the process of building objects through an easy-to-assemble/do-it-yourslef concept using as raw material only rough pine wood boards and nails. In the book, Enzo Mari uses the term autoprogettazione as a concept to bring awareness of the process of “making” and design, and instructs the reader to build practical and useful furniture pieces through very simple techniques; hoping that benefits drawn from this process of “making” would be more valuable than the object being made.
In 1974, Enzo Mari and Simon (Dino) Gavina created Metamobile, a project that focused on producing a small number of tables, chairs and beds using the Autoprogettazione designs under Enzo Mari’s supervision at Gavina’s plant in Calcinelli di Fano. These Autoprogettazione designs made through the Metamobile project were also made using simple pine wood boards, but were to be assembled with screws, washers and nuts–as opposed to using nails as was prescribed in the do-it-your-self instructions in the Autoprogettazione book.
It is made of natural pine and black lacquered metal screws, washers, and nuts.
G. Gramigna - Repertorio del design italiano 1950-2000 2002, p. 240, Turin, Éditions Umberto Allemandi & C
R. Pedio - Enzo Mari designer 2004, numbers 174 and 175, Bari, Italy, Éditions Dedalo
Explore other Enzo Mari products at Casati Gallery
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