Friedman Benda is pleased to present Obsessed by Nature, Italian designer Enrico Marone Cinzano‘s first solo exhibition with the gallery, opening on November 14th. Deeply inspired by nature’s beauty, Marone Cinzano explores the spaces where perfection meets imperfection, reality meets fiction, and concept carries form. The exhibition unveils new work rooted in his profound understanding of nature’s undeniable ‘truth’—a truth that is immediate and universally accessible.
Beyond an obsession with nature’s immutable beauty and logic, these works navigate a delicate interplay between organic and industrial elements, seeking not fusion but an equilibrium of opposing energies and properties. Collecting and hunting for objects across time and geographies is central to Marone Cinzano’s practice. The process of collaging these discrete elements is a way of finding answers. In his words, it is a process of “developing reinterpretations and contrast, whereby the original purpose is morphed into new functionality, resulting by steering the raw materials into an artistic sculptural object with strong aesthetic values… What was becomes something else, what was discarded, and undervalued material, becomes part and parcel of a hopefully, beautiful, quality functional object.”
Through meticulous craftsmanship, his existential inquiries become accessible, tangible, and functional. It all comes down to the object’s function, longevity and staying power in the world. “It is not even any more a question of recycling; it is a question of what materials form part of our daily lives, of putting out timeless solidity. It is not only a question of form but also of purpose and utility. It is, after all, a question of maximization, of potential.”
The diverse stones and marble slabs used in several of these works are, in Marone Cinzano’s eyes, “a gift in themselves, pure natural luxury and elegance.” Obsessed by Nature is, in its purest essence, a designer’s attempt and urge to find meaning and what is yet to come. A tribute to the object for its own sake, it is an affirmation of its enduring significance and timeless presence in our world.
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About Enrico Marone Cinzano
Driven by a fascination with science, mathematics, materials and learnings from nature, Enrico Marone Cinzano’s practice is inspired by The Golden Ratio. His sculptural works draw references from the classic and the progressive, from Leonardo da Vinci to Kandinsky. Such imagery is reflected through the layering of geometry and contrasting colors with soft and industrial or long-lasting materials, including wood, steel, natural stone and glass.
Marone Cinzano starts with found and discarded materials and then conceptualizes a functional object according to the material’s potential and qualities. His one-of-a-kind creations are counter-intuitive to the conventional artistic process and mark collaborations with independent workshops and artisans.
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1963, Marone Cinzano studied business administration at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 2012, he established his eponymous label focusing on designing ethical and sustainable products. He began designing nature-inspired furniture using local and functional materials produced sustainably with minimal environmental impact. His works also draw inspiration from the classic and the progressive, from Leonardo da Vinci to Kandinsky. Such references are reflected through distinct aesthetics through the layering of geometry and contrasting colors with soft and industrial materials, including tinted glass, natural stones and steel.
Selected exhibitions include Fuorisalone (2018, 2015 and 2012), Milan Design Week, Rossana Orlandi Gallery, Milan, Italy; China Clean, Pearl Lam Galleries (2016), Hong Kong; Untold (2014), Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Milan, Italy; Bagatti Valsecchi 2.0 (2013), Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Milan, Italy; and Rossana Orlandi Gallery at Design Miami (2013) Miami, USA.
