alessi celebrates 100 years with playful, iconic pieces by ettore sottsass, andrea branzi + more

alessi celebrates its centenary with a collection of playful, iconic pieces by ettore sottsass in new, candy-hued colorways, as well as objects by andrea branzi, kuno prey and bertolani becchelli associati. the celebrations, which start this may and will last until april 2022, begin with a project dedicated to industrial craftsmanship, a value of the company’s design excellence represented by the historical ‘twergi’ collection. the collection is presented in special packaging, showing not only alessi’s centenary logo but also a small elf designed in 1989 by the famous american graphic designer milton glaser.

the reissue of ‘twergi’ pieces includes some of alessi’s most significant turned wood projects, such as ettore sottsass’s salt, pepper and spice mills, corkscrew, table centrepiece and jars. characterized by their overlapping shapes, these pieces were originally designed in 1989, a year after sottsass presented an exhibition of products crafted in india that also used turned wood and colored lacquers. the original palette – red, yellow and black – is accompanied by two new ones: pink, yellow and red; and white, black and yellow.all images courtesy of alessi unless stated otherwise

alessi inaugurates its 100-year celebrations with the reissue of iconic pieces from the historical ‘twergi’ collection, which was created in 1989 with the hope of revitalizing the ancient tradition of wood turning, typical of the strona valley, near lake orta where the italian design factory is based. the collection represents the close connection of the company with its surroundings, while the name ‘twergi’ itself – meaning ‘elf’ – comes from the local dialect spoken in the valleys surrounding alessi. the reissue of twergi pieces presents some of the most significant turned wood projects, made by ettore sottsass in the 80s, and a small but representative selection of objects designed in the 90s by andrea branzi, kuno prey and bertolani becchelli associati.salt, pepper and spice grinders by ettore sottsass

ettore sottsass’s objects include jars, a corkscrew, a table centrepiece and salt, pepper and spice grinders. the kitchen and table pieces are interpreted by the master of italian design with his signature juxtaposition of colorful overlapping shapes. the playful items are presented in the original palette of red, yellow, and black, accompanied by two new ones: pink, yellow and red; and white, black and yellow. there are two versions of the centrepiece: one with a yellow base, like the original, and one in a shade of orange that often appeared in sottsass’s works.ettore sottsass in india, 1988

photo by barbara radice, courtesy studio ettore sottsass

a different approach to the creative potentialities of turned wood is instead shown in the three projects that complete the collection. the elegant and poetic bottle opener ‘ercolino’ by andrea branzi reveals the happy relationship between the designer and wood, in his opinion one of the best vehicles for realizing objects with which you can establish a relationship that is not merely functional but also psychological, symbolic and poetic. the photo frame designed by kuno prey is simple, functional and unusual – a perfect expression of his ethical and ecological approach to the project. last, the elegant and minimalistic photo frame by bortolani becchelli associati, which almost disappears, leaves room to the photo and nothing else.corkscrew by ettore sottsass

during the course of one year, starting in may 2021, alessi will present every month a new project associated with its values, resulting from an in-depth research in the archives of its museum. each project was selected for its ability to represent one of the twelve values that have defined the identity and work of alessi. the alessi values collection comprises projects by ettore sottsass, richard sapper, achille castiglioni, alessandro mendini, riccardo dalisi, aldo rossi, michael graves, philippe starck, andrea branzi, enzo mari, stefano giovannoni, csa – susan cohn, kuno prey, bortolani becchelli associati and snøhetta.corkscrew by ettore sottsass