Contract - March 2014 - 18

PhotograPhy: alessandro russotti (toP); george lambros (bottom)

industry news

Salone Internazionale del Mobile Preview

Milan's International Furniture Fair-Salone Internazionale del
Mobile-will be held April 8-13 at the Milan Fairgrounds, Rho, with
a wide array of events and exhibitions happening throughout the
city. A variety of Italian and international exhibitors are expected
to show products, accessories, and furnishings for both residential
and commercial markets. Cosmit, the operator of Salone, reports
that 1,269 exhibitors-953 from Italy-were present last year.
Nearly 286,000 people attended, including nearly 39,000 from
the general public.
This year, the 17th edition of SaloneSatellite will be held, for the
first time, at the Milan Fairgrounds, Rho. Located in pavilions 13 and 15,
SaloneSatellite will include the work of approximately 650 designers
who are all under age 35, as well as live demonstrations by a number
of craftsman studios working with textiles, ceramics, leather, and
3D printing. An exhibition featuring leading international architects,
"Where Architects Live," will be held in pavilion 9. Inspired by the
architects' own concepts of domestic space, the exhibition will
provide a glimpse into "rooms" designed by Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini,
David Chipperfield, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid,
Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind, and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai.
For more information, visit www.cosmit.it. -john czarnecki

Maya Romanoff, Wallcovering Pioneer, dies at 72

Maya Romanoff, founder and chief creative officer of wallcovering
manufacturer Maya Romanoff Corporation, died on January 15 at the
age of 72 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
Romanoff's given name was Richard, but while traveling the world
after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, he was
dubbed "Multifarious Maya" by an Indian guru he met on his journey,
and later used Maya as his first name.
It was at the Woodstock music festival that Romanoff discovered
the art of tie-dye, and soon began producing fabrics for an apparel line
named Wearable Art. He also made tie-dyed shirts, which he sold at
Rolling Stones concerts. His dyed leather and silk works are now part
of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt,
National Design Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.
In 1969, he founded his eponymous firm, the Maya Romanoff
Corporation, built with the vision of combining ancient artistic
techniques with modern design aesthetics and a respect for nature.
Romanoff transitioned into wallcoverings, incorporating tactile
materials such as glass beads, seashells, gold leaf, and stitching.
In 1998, he married Joyce Lehrer, who had joined the company
10 years earlier and is widely credited with expanding the business.

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"He carved an original path in life and was guided by the idea
that there is truly something new under the sun," his company said in
a statement. "Maya said that in striving to make beautiful things, he was
'on the side of the angels.' Now at rest he truly is." -cody calamaio

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march 2014
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Contract - March 2014

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