RETRO REVIVAL:
Teaching old
materials new tricks
MATERIALS – Some of the most intriguing
material applications we saw during this
edition of the Milan Design Week came not
from biodesign labs nor manufacturing giants,
but from the sheer ingenuity of a group of
creators who dared to look at old materials in
a new way. From liquid 3D printing to volcano
‘mining’, here are four projects that extended
the creative possibilities of terracotta, marble,
porcelain and wood. – RMRoman designer Federica Elmo worked with paint specialists to develop a custom process to
3D-print liquid on a hard surface, via ink jet. The hard surface she had in mind was an unex-
pected one, particularly given the rainbow-like effects she was able to achieve with the new
processing: Carrara marble. The resulting collection, named Ondamarmo for Bloc Studios,
features six objects, from shelves to trays – but the XL dining table stands out from the pack,
as its large size allows for a more generous display of the effect she achieved. The result is
breath-taking in photos, but even more so in person – so, if you’ve ever wanted to see what
the work of a real-life unicorn would look like, the XL table is your chance.
federicaelmo.com
bloc-studios.comCa
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