PIERRE CARDIN

PIERRE CARDIN (San Biagio di Callalta, Italy, 1922 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 2020).
Modular coffee table, second half of the 20th century.
MDF lacquered in black and yellow.
Composed of six cubic modules that can be opened.
Shows signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements of each module: 40 x 40 x 40 cm.
Measurements in the arrangement shown: approx. 40 x 120 x 80 cm.

A unique coffee table designed by Pierre Cardin, conceived as a modular composition consisting of six independent cubes. The alternation of black and yellow lacquered surfaces creates, when the pieces are grouped together, a striking geometric composition with a distinctively graphic character. Each module features accessible compartments, integrating storage capacity into the very architecture of the piece.

Its design reflects the second half of the 20th century’s interest in modular and transformable furniture. The six elements can be arranged in various ways, altering both the functional configuration and the visual interpretation of the ensemble. The purity of the forms, the strong color contrast, and the absence of any ornamentation bring the piece closer to the futuristic and experimental language that characterized a fundamental part of Cardin’s work.

Pierre Cardin was one of the most influential and multifaceted figures in 20th-century design. A key figure in the postwar fashion revival, he soon expanded his creative universe to include furniture, interiors, and object design, bringing to these fields his fascination with geometry, space, and futuristic forms. During the 1970s, he produced a significant body of furniture that he himself defined as “sculptures utilitaires”—utilitarian sculptures—conceived to transcend mere function and acquire a strong sculptural presence in space. Glossy lacquers, intense colors, geometric volumes, and modular solutions became some of the most recognizable elements of this design language. Cardin’s multidisciplinary approach and his decisive contribution to 20th-century futurist aesthetics have been the subject of major international retrospectives, including the exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum dedicated to his work, titled “Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion.”