RAMPINELLI EDIZIONI 2023, the aesthetic potential of steel

Rampinelli Edizioni was born in 2020 from an idea by Sovrappensiero Design Studio and Gabriele Rampinelli. The passion to broaden the brand’s horizons led Rampinelli S.p.A – that has been operating in the metalworking manufacturing sector since 1913 – to embark on a new path and launch the first furniture series designed by Sovrappensiero, artistic director of the brand, in the same year. (Cover image, Ossimoro, Filippo Protasoni)

The success of the initial experiment led the brand to expand its collection and engage, in subsequent years, with new collaborations with other internationally renowned designers. The result is the 2023 collection, which marks a new and fascinating chapter: eleven internationally renowned designers, guided by the experience of Rampinelli Spa, have reinterpreted the complex workings of steel, giving life to a series of refined furnishing accessories with a sculptural nature. The designers involved are Giorgio Biscaro, Antonio De Marco, Odo Fioravanti, Claudio Larcher, Martinelli Venezia, Chiara Moreschi, Studio Pari, Filippo Protasoni, Sovrappensiero, Mario Scairato and Philippe Tabet.

“Compared to the first edition, what distinguishes this new collection was the desire to work on objects characterized by a more sculptural nature, involving a greater number of designers,” – Lorenzo and Ernesto of Sovrappensiero told us – “We deliberately directed the designers towards a ‘freer and more personal interpretation of objects,’ encouraging them to explore the material, the different processes, and the new aesthetic potential, with maximum freedom, freed from functional limits.”

This new Rampinelli Edizioni collection embodies a brilliant convergence of creative visions, a tribute to steel crafting techniques that blend industrial techniques with artisanal wisdom, and a testament to the passion and commitment of the involved designers. The new products highlight plasma cutting, CNC milling, and manual TIG welding. Let’s see the collection.

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Rampinelli Edizioni’s 2023 collection

Diving into the details of the products, we can find Goldilocks (Ricciolidoro) by Giorgio Biscaro, the acrobatic sculpture in which planes and curves alternate, inspired by the Goldilocks fairy tale and the principle of the same name in the field of economic and cognitive sciences.

Antonio De Marco designed Essenza, a vase container that invites you to touch: the surface, originally smooth, hides small knots and grooves that invite fingers to explore the contrast between the coldness of the metal and the suggestive memory of the wood. It is a unique work of craftsmanship narrates the encounter between apparently opposite materials.

Taut (“tense” in English) is the synthesis of the candle holder: Odo Fioravanti used a simple sheet metal rectangle traversed by a sign that embraces the base for the candle. By plastically deforming the steel, this two-dimensional sign transforms into a three-dimensional gripping point that creates expressive tension and gives life to the object.

Inspired by the ruins of Ancient Rome, Italicus by Claudio Larcher proposes its typical architecture in the form of small cast iron objects that can be used as doorstops or bookends.

Fermo is another metal doorstop, designed by Martinelli Venezia, characterized by a playful anthropomorphic volume that recalls the legs of a waiting person. A robust and ironic object that becomes a functional and aesthetically lively inhabitant of the space.

OOO is the table centerpiece designed by Chiara Moreschi for Rampinelli Edizioni. Composed of 3 elements, each has a surface worked on simulating an out-scaled gear, evoking the possibility of moving each container around the others. The two internal ones have no base but rest on the tray, using the material’s specific weight to maintain the composition’s functionality. An object that celebrates the brand’s skills in metalworking, precision, and clean cuts.

Tig by Studio Pari is a sculptural object that exhibits welding rawly, turning it into the dominant aesthetic feature. The welding process results from multiple experiments, with precise adjustments of metal thicknesses and fusion temperatures to achieve a fascinating rainbow effect.

Ossimoro also enhances the aesthetic possibilities of steel: a monolith that plays with contrasts, solid, heavy, and unaltered in the lower portion, polished to a mirror finish and evanescent in the upper. This tabletop mirror designed by Filippo Protasoni arises from the desire to investigate the visual weights that form and finish can generate.

With Diapason, Sovrappensiero explores not only the aesthetic and superficial aspect of the material but also another sense… hearing – a sculpture to see and listen to the sound of steel. The distinctive shape of the piece comes from a single 20mm thick plasma-cut sheet.

Primitive by Mario Scairato is a research project on basic natural forms inscribed in 12×12 cm squares. Small alien domestic sculptures that seem shaped by time come to life thanks to the fitting technique.

Philippe Tabet plays with semi-finished products commonly used in construction. He creates Mister T: a simple and cute face that comes from a beam’s “T” section and transforms it into a steel sculpture with an ornamental and bookend function.

To get more information or purchase a piece from the 2023 collection, consult the prices, but also find out how many hours of workmanship went into each piece, visit the official website of Rampinelli Edizioni and follow the brand on Instagram, too! Photography Stefania Zanetti and Matteo Bellomo

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