Top price went an armchair by Israeli designer Ron Arad, famed since the 1980s for his sculptural furniture with its artistic rather than industrial approach to Design. Arad experiments with materials, especially metal, to produce items with flowing curves – like his Blo-void swivel-chair from the Raf Simons Collection that soared to €102,700 (lot 24).
The sale’s contemporary section also included fascinating works by Raphael Navot (born 1977), who trained at the prestigious Eindhoven Design Academy and now works in Paris. His encounter with David Lynch, with whom he worked on the Silencio project in 2011, marked a turning-point in his career. Armed with his penchant for raw materials, natural tones and textured surfaces of wood or stone, Navot conceives timeless, refined venues with a gentle ambiance. His Animal chaise longue, upholstered in silk velvet by Pierre Frey, sold for €28,600 (lot 66).
Classic artist’s furniture was also prominent, led by the work of Ado Chale who, since the late 1960s, has been designing rare table-tops in epoxy resin incrusted with semi-precious stones. His resin coffee-table with inclusions of pyrite and blackened metal doubled expectations on €65,000 (lot 94, est. €25,000-35,000). The colourful furniture of Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis Group, also enjoyed saleroom success. Sottsass was influenced by Bauhaus, India, Pop Art and the Beat Generatio: a great experimenter who explored numerous disciplines – everything from furniture and graphic to photography, drawing, ceramics, glass and architecture. His whimsical console in galss, mirror and lacquered wood fetched €20,800 (lot 154). Glassware proved popular. A pair of vases by Michela Cattai pulverized estimate on €14,300 (lot 68, est. €1,500-2,000), while individual vases by the Czech architect and designer Borek Šipek sold for €9,100-€9,750 (lots 136-139, est. €2,000-3,000 a piece).
(all prices include buyer’s premium)
