Casati Gallery: Visions of Italian Design 
10 December 2021
Casati Gallery: Visions of Italian Design 
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Franco Albini

Rare wall lamp for Villa Neuffer, Ispra

Italy, c. 1940
enameled steel 23½ h × 28 w × 43 d in (60 × 71 × 109 cm)
estimate: $35,000–45,000
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This rare wall lamp was custom-designed for Villa Neuffer in Ispra.
provenance: Commissioned directly from the artist for Villa Neuffer, Ispra, Italy

This work will ship from Wright in Chicago, Illinois.

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Structural Ingenuity

Franco Albini's Villa Neuffer, Ispra

In 1940, Franco Albini designed the Villa Neuffer in the town of Ispra in Lago Maggiore. With a modern sensibility and structural ingenuity, Albini transformed the XIII villa into a rationalist structure complete with custom furnishings and original lighting designs. After visiting the home, Gio Ponti wrote an article—"Case non ville" (Houses not Villas) in Stile magazine, 1943—applauding Albini's architectural and design approach to the project.

Visit the Villa Neuffer with the Fondazione Franco Albini

Visions of Italian Design

For more than 20 years Ugo Alfano Casati has been bringing fresh and interesting modern and contemporary Italian design to market. From rare and custom works by Italy’s most notable architects to classic forms and more recent limited edition works from the most radical and forward thinking minds, Casati’s vision of Italian Design is one of quality, beauty and historical significance. 

An Italian himself, Casati grew up in Milan. He worked for Alessi and Bodum in Paris before relocating to Chicago where he opened Casati Gallery to bring Italian design to the American market. He focused on Italian designs of the post-war era to present day, developing relationships with artists, designers, foundations and archives, adding valuable context and introducing new scholarship in the field alongside his elegant offerings. 

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Image by Ian Ace Photography

In 2007, Casati and Wright teamed together to create a book dedicated to the designs of Angelo Mangiarotti. The award-winning publication, featured full-color images and was published in English and Italian introducing the innovative designer to the broader market. 

Casati’s interest in fine craftsmanship and originality soon grew to include emerging design and he began to produce editions by makers whose aesthetics complimented his Italian sensibility: Jonathan Nesci, Philippe Nigro, among others. 

This special curated auction celebrates Casati Gallery and marks the beginning of Casati Projects, a new phase for Ugo Alfano Casati who endeavors to bring renewed energy and experience to the field of Italian design through curatorial and consulting services for discerning collectors and institutions across the globe.

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