Rota-lab’s laboratory

ROTA-LAB

MISSION

Rota-lab is a laboratory of applied arts dedicated to the creation of original works of interior design. Working with wood, metals and resins and tapping into a Italy’s rich and varied tradition of craftsmanship, Rota-lab produces a limited series of furniture, lamps and interior furnishings, adapted to the functional needs and aesthetics of contemporary living. Many unique pieces arose from Rota-lab’s passion for the recovery of found and/or abandoned objects, and their ability to give these objects a new life and a new function. Complete creative freedom and control of the entire productive process enables Rota-lab to work from a wide variety of inspirational sources and to benefit from the collaboration of other artists in their production. In an era dominated by industrial processes and standardized products of short life, Rota-lab moves in the opposite direction, proposing handmade, personal, creative, durable pieces of interior design, with low environmental impact. A selection of Rota-lab products are on sale at the design store M.I.A., via di Ripetta, Rome.

APTICO. Table. Solid wood, maple, pear, wengé

FOLD. Chair with folding back. Iron, birch plywood.

CREPA. Cube with drawers or doors. Lacquered plywood.

WALL-E. Telephone table. One-of-a-kind. The lampshade was made from and old industrial waste container

CICLOPE. Standing lamp. One-of-a-kind. Made from objects found in an abandoned industrial complex.

MOKA. Table lamp made from old coffee pots.

Along with its independent production, Rota-lab designs and produces interior furnishings for individual clients and organizations. From 2007 to the present Rota-lab has designed and produced furniture, lighting and furnishings for numerous private homes and commercial spaces. Including: -Mondopop International Gallery and shop, Rome, 2009 Furniture, furnishings and showcases. -RGB46-Bookstore/art gallery, Rome, 2007 Furnishings and lighting. -Poisson-fishbar, Rome, 2010 Furnishings and illumination.

Thanks to the wide-ranging preparation, experience and creative verve of its members, Rota-lab has also created on commission installations for private or company functions, and art installations for individual clients. Including: -Solido, Rome 2009 Christmas installation for private company. -Biennale d’art, Roma, Complex of San Michele, 2007 Project, realization and setting up of exposition for the “Biennale of Art for European Students”. -Riad, “La Claire Fontaine”, Morocco, 2010 Sculpture-fountain lead plate over iron skeleton.

MONDOPOP International Gallery and Shop, Rome.

HISTORY

Rota-lab was founded in Rome in 2006 by Tommaso Garavini, Giorgio Mazzone e André Philippe Solari. They are united by a common passion for craftsmanship and manual techniques, but diversity of their artistic backgrounds - scenography, photography, design - and personal experience serves as a constant source of inspiration and a rich of references applied to their daily production. Their laboratory, in the San Lorenzo area of Rome, is a creative workshop, equipped also with a printing and shooting photography lab, screen printing equipment, a ping-pong table and the showroom for Rota-lab products. Tommaso, Giorgio e Andrea are thus ARTIGIAINERS (artisan-designers), word coined for them to describe their design-craftsmanship work. Artigiainer is also the title of their first book, published in december 2010, in a limited edition of 300 copies, by GB publishing house. The book was presented in occasion of the exhibition of their products hosted by RGB46 in Rome.

BIOGRAPHIES

TOMMASO GARAVINI Born in Rome in 1972, he spent most of his childhood travelling around the world with his family. He studied Set Design at the “Academy of Fine Arts of Rome”, painting at “Burg Gibiechenstein” (“Hockschule fur Kunst und Design” - Halle Saale, Germany) and worked as a set designer in movies and theatre for 10 years. He is a painter, illustrator, sculptor, writer and musician.Up to now he has done more than 10 solo exhibitions and 20 collective exhibitions all over Europe. He published his drawings on many international magazines. GIORGIO MAZZONE Born in 1974 in Rome, left Rome to explore the world in ‘94, comes back to Rome in 2001. He graduated in in Printmaking and photography at “University of the Arts in Philadelphia”. Nowdays he works as a furniture maker and teaches bookbinding in a design academy in Rome. ANDRE’ PHILIPPE SOLARI Born in France in 1975, he moved to Rome when still a child. Since graduation in industrial design at I.S.I.A. in Rome he has worked as graphic designer, 3d modeller and motion graphics expert in various architecture studios based in Rome.

CONTACTS

Products, one-of-a-kind pieces and commissioned works are visible on Rota-lab website: www.rota-lab.com For estimates and prices: [email protected] For info and communication: Rota-lab Press Office Carla Rak [email protected] +39 339 6006451 To contact Tommaso, Giorgio e Andrea: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Rota-lab.Via Braccio da Montone, 34.00176 Rome, Italy p.i.09121481007