Franco Albini

Boetto, Genoa, 31 October 2013, lot 2140

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Private collection, Germany

A shop and some furniture, Stile, n. 25, January 1943

House of a publisher - furnished by the architect Giovanni Romano, Stile, no. 30, June 1943

Lamps in a Milan Shop, Interiors and Industrial Design, November 1948, p. 115

Federico Bucci and Fulvio Irace, Zero Gravity: Franco Albini Costruire le Modernita, Milan, 2006, pp. 123, 265

Giampiero Bosoni, Federico Bucci, Il Design e gli Interni di Franco Albini, Milan, 2016, pp. 65-66, 125

This lot is sold with a certificate of authenticity from the Fondazione Franco Albini.

According to the Fondazione Franco Albini, this lot is a rare and early version of the renowned 'Mitragliera' floor lamp. Its design, reminiscent of a tripod machine gun with a lampshade at the end of the barrel, was created by Franco Albini and is part of the few custom-made examples produced during the lamp’s early stages of development between 1942 and 1943.

Albini began conceptualizing the 'Mitragliera' in the late 1930s, experimenting with several prototypes that featured various details and materials. The first known appearance of the lamp was in photographs of Albini’s apartment on Via De Alessandri in 1938. It later surfaced in his Via De Togni residence and was showcased at the VII Triennale in Milan in 1940. By 1948, Interiors magazine featured the 'Mitragliera' in connection with Gino Sarfatti’s Arteluce production. It is believed that Arteluce produced no more than ten of these lamps.

The 'Mitragliera' exemplifies Albini’s groundbreaking approach to design, combining a dramatic and industrial aesthetic with flexibility and adjustability for practical use. The lamp's bold and sculptural presence also adds an artistic element to interior spaces. Today, the 'Mitragliera' stands as a lasting symbol of Albini’s innovative contributions to modern design, embodying both his creativity and enduring influence in the field. lasting influence on the field.