Ponti Giovanni, aka Gio
Presentation of the first publication by l’abbate.
Spazio Ex Ansaldo, Zona Tortona, Milan
April 16-21, 2008


For the occasion of the 2008 Milan Design Week, l’abbate presents its first publication - the book/catalogue entitled “Ponti Giovanni, aka Gio”.

“Let’s do something wonderful!”. This was Gio Ponti’s own watchword when he started work on a design.
It is this attraction towards “lovely things” which is a feature of the collection of furniture and accessories which l’abbate has faithfully reproduced, salvaging the innovative content and the original values manifested by Gio Ponti.

The first part of the book reminds us of how Gio Ponti’s approach to design was exuberant, inquisitive and multi-faceted. “Failed architect and would-be painter”, on occasions bricklayer, joiner, decorator, glassmaker, coachbuilder, inventor and ceramicist. Gio Ponti was an all-round designer of very many things in the most widely differing areas, from stage sets to lamps, chairs, kitchen utensils, coffee makers and the interiors of famous buildings, houses, ships and hotels.
Defining Ponti’s work is therefore always a hopeless task and any attempt at summing up his contribution to the history of Italian design could never be complete. He was fond of classicism, yet always looked to the future. He was without doubt one of the most authoritative advocates of industrial design of the twentieth century and at the same time respected above all else the skill of craftsmen.
He did not believe in “new” ideas and always tried to learn from the past and his importance today appears greater than ever. This publication by l’abbate is dedicated to all those weary of functionalism and minimalism.
It no longer seems possible for an architect to succeed in working with the freedom and mobility that Ponti enjoyed. All the more reason to look back, understand his work and equip ourselves in order to look forward. “In modern culture everything is simultaneous, present, past and future”.

The second part of the book, published on high gloss paper, is dedicated to the “lovely things”, the collection of furniture and accessories designed by Gio Ponti and produced by l’abbate.



This collection brings together a selection of the most significant works by Ponti and each year sees the addition of a series of products designed from the thirties to the fifties, open to future inclusion of other historic design pieces by Gio Ponti. As a collection it has led to the regaining of the original values on the basis of which contemporary furniture design has developed, providing faithful reconstructions of furniture and objects able to transfer to it the integral messages of innovation and pioneering that are part of the ideas of all great masters. “Modernity doesn’t mean using four square pieces of furniture”.


The exclusive rights of reproduction were acquired by l’abbate for all the products in the collection. All the models, due to their high artistic content and special creative nature, are protected by copyright, a universally recognised and defended legal institution.

The final part of the book presents models in production – “future lovely things”.
Chairs, tables, units and accessories for which l’abbate already holds sole reproduction rights, available shortly. They also reveal those absolute values of design, beyond space and time and with uncharted content, which represent a fundamental contribution to modern design research.
When Gio Ponti was asked if one of his items of furniture was “standard production”, he answered “it will be, when the public uses it”.






For further details please contact:
l’abbate s.r.l.
Via IV Novembre, 59 – 33010 Feletto Umberto (Ud)
t. +39 0432 688158 f. +39 0432 688925
info@lacollection.it
www.lacollection.it