The Campana brothers and the Eklund sisters from Bolon talk to Mandi Keighran and Alice Blackwood about Milan and their recent collaboration.
April 19th, 2011
The Campana brothers recently teamed up with the Eklund sisters from Bolon to create the world’s largest mosaic for the Stockholm design fair – an image of a ballerina amidst an abstract mosaic constructed from almost 7,000 pieces of Bolon’s new flooring collection. A smaller version of the original installation is on display in Milan, and Alice Blackwood and Mandi Keighran catch up with Annica and Marie Eklund from Bolon and Fernando and Humberto Campana to talk about the collaboration.
“It took about 3 days with 3 persons to put the ballerina together, then the brothers did some very nice work around the mosaic, like you see at the fair,” says Annica.
“The idea was to deconstruct the ballerina,” says Fernando.
“I don’t see the wall just like a floor, but like furniture. [Bolon] is a beautiful material that I would like to investigate using the walls to create furniture. It’s amazing the possibilities you can do with the material,” says Humberto.
“It’s flexible at the same time as it’s rigid. So, we can create a lot of structure,” says Fernando.
“It’s a new kind of Bolon fibre we present this year. It’s very unique as it has a textile look with a high durability,” says Marie.
“We met each other during this week in Milan last week,” says Annica. “We stayed in contact and found out we could do something together. Here is the start and we don’t know where the end will be.”
“They gave us the ballerina as the theme,” says Fernando. “We decided to reprocess it in a different way. Not so literal, but abstract.”
“We thought it could be an arty idea,” says Marie. “To have a beautiful ballerina constructed into art.”
“We invited Fernando to the factory. They had more understanding of the process, and they got so many new ideas when they saw the leftover fabrics,” says Annica.
“It’s so important to visit the factories,” says Fernando. “We like to see the waste of the companies we work with.”
“We share a passion for design, but there also has to feel right in the stomach and the heart – that there is an honesty in the collaboration. We share that philosophy with the brothers,” says Marie.
“When we took over the company in 2003, the flooring business was so boring. For us it has been very positive to work with people that inspire us,” says Annica. “When Armani used our product, we thought ’Wow’ – we have to push the brand much higher in position and add fashion and design.”
Bolon
bolon.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The American Hardwood Export Council promotes the works of next-gen designers through Discovered Singapore exhibition happening from 16 to 22 May at Red Dot Design Museum Singapore.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
The Dulux Colour Awards 2023 has once again celebrated the audacious and sublime use of colour in architecture and design. We bring you the debrief on this year’s winners.
An architecture studio’s own office generally offers an insight into the aesthetics and philosophy of its work – that is certainly the case with Pitch Architecture and Development’s new space in Richmond.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Woven Image refreshes its popular, multi-award winning Embossed Acoustic Panel collection with a new range of colours that bring warmth and comfort to commercial interiors.
Set to undergo a $60-million revitalisation, the National Gallery of Australia has announced the launch of a landscape design competition for its Sculpture Garden.