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Mario Trimarchi tells us about the Ossidiana project created for Alessi and with which he won the Compasso d’Oro in 2015.
Mario Trimarchi for Alessi, Coffee maker OSSIDIANA – Photo: Santi Caleca 2014
Can you tell us about the Ossidiana coffee maker project and how you made it?
Ossidiana was born as a family of objects; I wanted to apply the practice of marble and stone sculpture to design. When we design with the computer we tend to juxtapose volumes from scratch; a sculptor has a block at his disposal and tries to understand what’s inside. Following this practice, I tried to remove materials from compact volumes. I did some tests using pumpkins, avocados, aubergines and other fruits and vegetables where I removed “fragments” to see what would happen; then I realized that this kind of process was the same to the one used by the primitive man whereby they were able to create functional tools or weapons by working the stones. A family of objects such as salt and pepper shakers, mixers was born from this research; the coffee maker was developed further as it had a very strong symbolic significance. The general theme of the project was to design objects that fit our hands perfectly as well as achieving a more sensual ergonomics.
Mario Trimarchi for Alessi, OSSIDIANA SOGNA I SUOI ANTENATI – Drawing, 2014
Ossidiana can be perceived as an old coffee maker but as soon as you take a close look, it becomes apparent that it is a new object. It is as if it invites you to touch and caress it, open and close it, and this is of great importance because it seems as if the object spoke to us; it is very easy to imagine that an object has a soul and thoughts and right now this appeals me very much.
