Il Tornitore Matto / Compressioni Unprecedented Object

Il Tornitore Matto / Compressioni Unprecedented Object

Paolo Ulian for Alessi 2023 / North American Release 2024 / Each piece is marked with the production year and a sequential number

Multi-purpose Basket/Sculptural Object

Brass Sheet

[H 2.23 x Ø 4.73"]

With his Compressioni project, Paolo Ulian has conceived a new way of forming sheet metal, a method that reveals uncanny expressivity. Each piece has variations and is unique due to the production process and resulting compression of brass sheet.
Composed of a basket, a centrepiece and an "unprecedented object", his triad of objects is a powerful encapsulation of the experiments he entertained with a master turner at his side. The three containers are first made on a lathe, then compressed to obtain the final shape. Trial after trial, it became clear that the deformations caused by crushing the semifinished articles were relatively controllable variables. The folds created on the bottom of the objects were almost magically arranged in geometric patterns - squares, pentagons, hexagons and octagons - giving fascinating regularity to the elements' unique differences. Made in Italy.