On 7 November, Italian auction house Cambi Casa d’Aste is holding a sale dedicated to Dino Gavina (1922-2007), a central figure in the history of post-war design, a courageous, visionary and enlightened entrepreneur.
Dino Gavina – Photo © Margherita Cecchini
Gavina was an out-of-the-ordinary character: his business card read ‘Dino Gavina, subversive’, with no phone number or address. He was friends with Lucio Fontana, Carlo Scarpa, Kazuhide Takahama, Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni. An entrepreneur in his own right, he had also founded Flos together with Cesare Cassina.
“Traccia” occasional table by Simon Gavina, design Meret Oppenheim (1972)
“Biagio” table lamp in marble by Flos, design Tobia Scarpa (1969)
“Capocaccia” daybed by Gavina, design Kazuhide Takahama (1959)
“Samo” table in marble by Simon Gavina, design Carlo Scarpa (1973)
Gavina SpA was the first brand to combine the language of art with the industrial production of furniture, introducing the concept of the artistic factory. Thus, in addition to designers such as Scarpa or Marcel Breuer, the names of Giacomo Balla, Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim (who designed the famous Traccia coffee table with bird legs) and Sebastian Matta can be found in the catalogue.
Screen by Simon Gavina, design Kazuhide Takahama, drawing by André Masson (1976)
“Cactus” sculpture (from I Fiori Futuristi series) by Simon Gavina, design Giacomo Balla
“Garbo R” suspension lamps by Sirrah, design Mariyo Yagi (1973)
“Gonzaga” storage cabinet by Simon Gavina, design Luigi Caccia Dominioni (1987)
The 133 pieces in the catalogue (armchairs, lamps, complete sets of chairs, poufs, tables, hangers, but also carpets and screens) come from a single private collection. All the information can be found on the Cambi website, where those interested can follow the auctions live-streamed and, after registering, become active participants.
All images © Cambi Casa d’Aste unless otherwise stated.
