Various pedestal tables designed by Angelo Mangiarotti, Domus, December 1959
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.
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.
Angelo Mangiarotti 1921–2012
Italian architect and designer Angelo Mangiarotti was known for applying a personal and humanistic approach to functional design. Born in Milan in 1921, he earned a degree in architecture from Milan Politecnico in 1948. Mangiarotti was fascinated by the methods and techniques employed in city-planning and architecture in addition to a passion for beauty and design. In 1953, while serving as a guest lecturer at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago he made connections to Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Walter Gropius.
Mangiarotti returned to Italy in 1955 establishing a firm with Bruno Morasutti, later opening his own firm in 1960. His inventive nature and craftsmanship was employed in numerous projects from marble bowls and glass collections for Knoll to urban planning and industrial design projects. In 1989, he established the Mangiarotti & Associates Office based in Tokyo, Japan. A highly regarded designer, Mangiarotti was presented with the Domus Formica award in 1956, the American Industrial Partners award for industrial construction works in 1972, the gold medal in architecture by the Accademia della Torre of Carrara in 1998, and a dedicated exhibition held at Calenzano's Design Museum in May 2010. Angelo Mangiarotti died in Milan in 2012.
Auction Results Angelo Mangiarotti
