Sergio Mannino
Untitled #1 (Hannover)

Location: Sergio Mannino Studio – 45 Main Street, Suite 546 – Brooklyn, New York 11201

info@sergiomannino.com
www.sergiomannino.com
 
A wall mounted curial cabinet. It is the first of 5 objects inspired by a series of photographs by Santi Caleca in the Hannover red light district. Production: 100 signed pieces and one artist proof, ($2,100 + taxes and shipping)

The Unknown
When I was twelve, one summer night, I listened to a scientific program on the radio while I was looking at the sky with my brand new telescope. The speaker, a professional astronomer, was trying to explain the sky and the position of stars and planets to the listeners. Everything was very easy to understand, even for a kid and I was totally fascinated. Later in the night, he explained how to find Saturn out of the myriad of stars I was looking at: it was much brighter then anything else around and for me just the fact that I was able to recognize it, was already a big emotion. Without hesitating I moved my telescope and pointed at the object; focusing was never easy but in a few minutes I was totally amazed! I saw a small white circle with the rings around it! My heart started beating very fast and I was so excited that I couldn’t even talk. I will never forget that emotion; I will never forget what I felt that night. A few days later, due to the fact that the only subject of my conversation was, of course, Saturn, a friend of mine told me that the Universe is infinite. I knew about it but never really focused on the concept. My friend continued saying that if we can suppose that at one point the Universe would end and that after that point there would be just void, the fact that we are actually able to define that void, it implies that it is something and that, therefore, the Universe cannot be finite. It was of course a very easy way to describe a complex concept to a kid but the effect that these two episodes had in my life were, and still are, enormous. Since then I have been searching for answers I have never found; since then I have been wondering about our existence and the reason why anything happens around us; since then I have been searching for the same emotion I experienced so many years ago. Sometimes I find it in a woman’s eyes or in her smile, sometimes I find it in paintings, sometimes in music… and it always comes out when you don’t expect it, like a shock, to cut your breath. In order to recreate this and to express the “inexpressible” I design objects, I build furniture, I dream about small or big architecture…

Sergio Mannino Studio is located in Brooklyn’s progressive art community of DUMBO. The aesthetic approach of each project is fresh and playful. The studio is a collection of forward thinking architects, interior and product designers who bring disparate ideas and materials together to create places and objects that delight, enlighten and inspire. Through an extensive close network of consultants and partners, projects can be taken from preliminary brainstorming to built form virtually anywhere in the world.

Sergio Mannino graduated in Architecture from the University of Florence, Italy under the direction of Ettore Sottsass and Remo Buti. He collaborated for 3 years with Professor Remo Buti during which time he had the opportunity to study furniture design and interior architecture in depth. In September 2002 he mounted a one-man show of his furniture designs, including 9 built-pieces and 100 watercolors, at the Memphis-Postdesign Gallery in Milan, once again under Sottsass’ supervision.

In New York since 2001 Sergio has worked on several commercial and residential projects in the US, Europe and Asia for renowned companies such as Jessica Simpson, Miss Sixty, Vince Camuto, Breil, Kensiegirl and several others.

For more information please visit the website at: www.sergiomannino.com

Sergio Mannino Studio
45 Main Street, Suite 546
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Ph. +1 718 855 5018
info@sergiomannino.com

Project credits
Design: Sergio Mannino
Coll. Christina Papalexandri and Francesca Scalettaris