Zanotta - Mezzadro black stool

In 1970 Zanotta put into production, metaphorically calling it Mezzadro, the "metallic seat" that the Castiglioni brothers had designed in 1957 (together with the Sella seat, in production since 1983) for the exhibition "Forms and colours in today’s home" set up at Villa Olmo in Como.

Mezzadro is a strong and clear message of freedom in defining the domestic space environment. "With this rather unusual tribute name, the object evokes the neo-avant-garde, from the provocativeness of Arte Povera to the irony of Pop Art. The assembly of artisanal and industrial components holds together in a Duchampian game: the agricultural world in the sheet metal seat and in the steel crossbow, that of the cycle in the fixing pin and the nautical one in the beech wood crossbar."

Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Achille Castiglioni (1918 - 2002) and Pier Giacomo (1913-1968) were born in Milan where, together with their brother Livio (1911-1979) initiated their designing career entirely based on the research of “new” forms, techniques and materials. The aim was to attain an "integral" design process. Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni are among the founders of the Industrial Design Association. Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni started working for Zanotta in 1964.

Zanotta

Founded in 1954, Zanotta is recognized as one of the major protagonists of the history of Italian design. In particular since the 1960s, guided by the intuition and extraordinary entrepreneurial ability of its founder Aurelio Zanotta, conquer the international scene thanks to emblematic products for formal innovation. The technological research supported by the continuous evolution of the quality of materials and production processes is one of the best in the world.

The cultured and precious history of Zanotta is renewed in 2017 in the union with Tecno starting a common project. This implies the consequent strengthening of synergies and commercial strategies at the international level under the guidance of Giuliano Mosconi. It brings irony to the domestic universe, which suggests different ways to feel better in the world of the home, which for the first time has included in its catalog the works of the great masters of design, creating an unparalleled "collection" of masterpieces, awarded and exhibited in the most important design museums.