Emma Gismondi Schweinberger for Artemide

EMMA GISMONDI SCHWEINBERGER (Italy, 1934–2019) for Artemide.
Pair of “Giano-Giano/Vano” side tables, 1970s.
Molded ABS plastic.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Bears the manufacturer’s stamp.
Measurements: 40 x 39 x 39 cm (x2).
The “Giano-Giano/Vano” side table series, designed for Artemide during the 1970s, belongs to a period of intense experimentation in Italian design, when furniture ceased to be conceived as static pieces and instead became versatile elements adaptable to the user. Made of white molded ABS plastic, they feature a cylindrical design with an integrated front niche, characteristic of the functional and futuristic language of Italian design of the era. Conceived as side tables or storage units, they stand out for the purity of their forms and their versatility, becoming an icon of Space Age design.
Emma Gismondi Schweinberger is one of the leading figures in contemporary Italian design and a key figure in the history of Artemide, the company she co-founded with her husband Ernesto Gismondi in 1960. Trained in architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan, she developed her career in a context marked by technological innovation and the search for new ways of understanding the domestic object. At Artemide, she spearheaded a production process based on research, functionality, and collaboration with some of the most important designers of the 20th century.