This ''Blow Up'' magazine rack, designed by the visionary Brazilian duo Fernando and Humberto Campana for Alessi in 2007, exemplifies their signature blend of creativity, spontaneity, and poetic innovation. Part of the acclaimed Blow Up series, this design transforms a seemingly chaotic assembly of stainless steel rods into a functional and visually striking object. The arrangement of the rods, appearing almost random, creates a dynamic interplay of shapes and spaces, a hallmark of the Campana brothers' approach to design.
Since founding their studio in 1983, the Campana brothers have continually redefined the boundaries of material use, turning the ordinary into extraordinary. Their collaboration with Alessi, which began in 2004, brought together the Campanas’ inventive artistry and Alessi's advanced manufacturing capabilities. The Blow Up collection showcases how the transition from handcrafted bamboo prototypes to industrial production can preserve the spirit of the original handmade ethos while making their designs accessible to a wider audience.
Known for their unconventional design process, the Campana brothers send full-scale bamboo prototypes to communicate their concepts directly, bypassing traditional technical drawings. This method underscores their commitment to immediacy and authenticity, resulting in designs like this Blow Up magazine rack that are as fresh and inspiring as they are functional.
A timeless piece, the Blow Up magazine rack encapsulates the Campanas' philosophy of finding beauty in chaos and their ability to infuse newness and poetry into everyday objects.
This magazine rack is in new condition and was not used before.
About the designers:
Humberto Campana, lawyer and Fernando Campana, architect, have been working together in San Paolo since 1983 in the field of artistic design. Their radical point of view is strengthened by the use of poor materials and industrial rubbish. Hand-made products represent the possibility of social redemption in a poor country. Their intention is to find a way for Brazilian design. In Italy, in 1997,they designed lights for O Luce. Some of their pieces appear in the International Design Year Book of 1997, edited by Philippe Starck. In 1998 the Moma in New York dedicated the "Progetto 66" exhibition to them, coupled with Ingo Maurer.