Giancarlo Mattioli, Nesso lamp for Artemide

GIANCARLO MATTIOLI (1933), founder of Gruppo Architetti Urbanisti Città Nuova, for Artemide.
“Nesso” lamp, 1960s.
Molded ABS.
First edition.
It retains the original switch and plug, very important details that enhance its collectible value.
With embossed stamp.
Measurements: 34 x 54 x 54 cm.

The Nesso Lamp gained worldwide recognition not only for its avant-garde design but also for its innovative use of industrial materials, winning the Compasso d’Oro Award. Made of molded ABS resin, the lamp’s fluid lines and soft, organic shape make it an instant focal point in any room. Its bold, sculptural silhouette and warm, diffused light have made it an enduring icon in the world of mid-century modern lighting.

Giancarlo Mattioli was an Italian architect, urban planner, industrial designer, and illustrator, internationally recognized for designing the Nesso lamp for Artemide, one of the most iconic pieces of 20th-century Italian design. He graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Florence in 1961. That same year, he founded the group of architects and urban planners Città Nuova, together with Pier Luigi Cervellati, Umberto Maccaferri, Franco Morelli, Gian Paolo Mazzucato, and Mario Zaffagnini. The collective developed major urban planning and architectural projects, with an innovative vision for the transformation of Italian cities. In 1965, the group won a competition organized by Artemide and Domus magazine with the design of a lamp featuring organic shapes inspired by nature. The result was the Nesso, unveiled in 1967. Made of injection-molded resin, its innovative curvilinear silhouette and the use of plastic materials marked a milestone in industrial design. Today, the lamp is still in production and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In addition to his work as a designer, Mattioli played a prominent role in Bologna’s urban development. He participated in the drafting of various plans for the historic center, urban expansion, industrial areas, and the city’s railway infrastructure, contributing significantly to its contemporary planning. At the same time, he pursued an intense artistic career as a draftsman and portraitist, creating numerous pen-and-ink portraits of friends, intellectuals, and figures from Italian cultural life. His legacy lives on in the fields of industrial design, architecture, and urban planning. The Nesso lamp remains an icon of Italian design and a benchmark of the aesthetic and technological innovation of the 1960s.