Edges

Il Tornitore Matto is the brainchild of Alberto Alessi. Developed in collaboration with Giulio Iacchetti, it is the start of a new experimental design brand. Rooted in the manufacturing origins of the Alessi company, the initiative is an offshoot, a collection of objects that meld design, industry and craftwork. The stimuli behind this enterprise are many, but two of them stand out. One is the decorative arts movement Wiener Werkstätte, whose approach has been a constant reference for Alberto Alessi throughout the years. Founded in 1903, the “Viennese Workshop” involved many of the most talented artists of that period. Working side by side with craftspeople, they created exquisitely refined artifacts. The second main stimulus behind Il Tornitore Matto is Alice in Wonderland, a world where rules are wacky. This connects to the project’s freedom from the typical limits of industrial production to give free rein to human creativity. Nine designers including Iacchetti participated in this first chapter of the manufacturing adventure whose aim is poetic techne. Each piece of the collection is marked with the production year and a sequential number.