Wallpaper 5

Baas’ whimsical contribution draws inspiration from

an imaginary discovery of fossils of small beasts, with

sharp teeth but no stomachs, while Italian architect

Fabio Novembre looked to Leonardo da Vinci’s

Vitruvian Man for ‘Toyboy’, slyly subverting it with

body parts vaguely resembling sex toys.

As for Canadian design duo Yabu Pushelberg, they

veered away from a literal interpretation to draw on

Japanese folklore. Their designs nod to tsukumogami,

household objects that are said to transform into spirits

after a century of use. ‘They are sometimes described

as vengeful, but also as simply mischievous. Either way,

they are an ancient representation infused with the

soul of a material culture,’ says Glenn Pushelberg of

their three animal head-shaped vessels. ‘Maintaining a

playfulness, but also a slightly sinister, mischievous

undercurrent to each piece was the greatest challenge.’

The project is an important way of showing young,

innovative designers the potential of working with

glass artisans. But it proved equally enticing for the

96-year-old Czech glass artist René Roubíček, who

shaped molten glass by hand at the furnace to create an

organic form named ‘The Martian’. ‘The monster could

only be like this; playful and merry, provoking solely

by the surprising simplicity of its elements,’ he says.

Another venerable talent, Italian designer

Alessandro Mendini, believes the time is right to think

about monstrosities: ‘Designing monsters means being

able to vanquish them.’ His designs are intended to

appear kind and friendly. ‘I think all the objects I make

are a bit like monsters: it is a kind of creature that

arouses special fascination,’ he says. ‘But in my case,

the monster is a good-luck charm.’ Equally amiable are

the Campanas’ ‘Outer Space Monsters’, named Flix and

Flex. ‘Our monsters are like aliens with a human shape

inside. They are not ugly or terrifying. We see more

horrible things in daily life,’ says Fernando Campana.

One of the most intriguing pieces in the collection,

‘Something Underneath’ by Japanese designer Oki Sato

of Nendo, is almost invisible. It looks as if a leaf of paper

or cloth were draped over a menacing shape, ‘playing

with the idea of the unknown and the invisible’. Each

piece called for a large single sheet of glass, its week-

long cooling process meticulously controlled to reduce

the risk of breakage. ‘It is such a simple idea, yet so

sophisticated,’ Jakimič observes.

According to Lasvit’s art director, Maxim Velčovský,

however, the true value of the exploration of monsters

is that it ofers a unique glimpse into the world of the

designer. Velčovský’s own creation is a Lenin lookalike

with a slightly larger left hand and shoe. Titled

‘Leftism’, it relects his experience of growing up behind

the Iron Curtain. ‘It’s a deformation that is not

immediately obvious, but that you igure out later on,’

he explains. ‘We were inluenced by the idea of building

up the socialist camp, and although the idea may be

good, the results can be monstrous. It really afected

my life and so it has become my personal monster.’ ∂

‘Lasvit Monster Cabaret’, 17-22 April, Teatro Gerolamo,

Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 8, lasvit.com

Alessandro

Mendini

ROMBO 1, 2

Mendini chose to design

friendly monsters,

made of hand-blown glass

using an iron mould

Daniel Libeskind

ROSENCRANTZ AND

GUILDENSTERN

A special salt oxide causes

these fused-glass monsters to

change colour, from green to

brown, depending on the light

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