Bilia Mini
Category
Lighting
Brand
Designer
Dimensions
D 12 cm - H 26 cm
Finiture
Glass, Metal
Year
1932
Nothing more than a sphere, set in an apparently impossible feat of balance, upon a cone that serves as the base. One of Gio Ponti’s many compositional magic tricks, designed in 1932. The counterbalancing of two elementary geometric forms results in an original, perfectly proportioned object. An unpretentious composition, enriched by the extraordinary balance of its proportions and the stylish discretion of non-reflective materials.The light is diffused and valorized by the geometrical simplicity of the design.
FontanaArte
In 1881, Luigi Fontana & C. was founded in Milan, specializing in the processing of glass, crystal, and mirrors. After participating in the 1906 Milan International Fair, the company was acquired by Saint-Gobain in 1910. Over the years, its artisanal origins began to evolve until a turning point in 1931, when Gio Ponti took over its artistic direction. It was Ponti who renamed the brand FontanaArte, adding “arte” to highlight the creative and design-driven spirit he envisioned for its future collections.
FontanaArte was officially established in 1932, and in 2022 it celebrated its 90th anniversary. To mark the occasion, during Milan Design Week (June 6–12), the company’s historical archive was opened to the public. At the same time, the Stanze del Vetro museum in Venice hosted the exhibition FontanaArte. Living in Glass, curated by Christian Larsen, until July 31.
Gio Ponti
Gio Ponti, born in 1891 in Milan, was an Italian architect, designer and professor. In all the sectors in which he worked, from interior to contract, Gio Ponti was the bearer of a message and a new perspective: the invitation to surround yourself with beauty as an incentive to enjoy life in its entirety. In 1947 he dedicated himself to the magazine Stile, carrying forward his desire to spread art and architecture with the creation of the "culture of living". In 1954 he invented the Compasso d'Oro award and in 1956 he created the Pirellone in Milan, considered one of his greatest masterpieces. He died in Milan in 1979.
