antonio aricò and seletti debut terracotta collection at maison&objet

from calabria to paris: ‘magna graecia’ debuts at maison&objet

Calabrian designer Antonio Aricò takes to Maison&Objet‘s January 2023 fair to unveil Magna Graecia, a collection of terracotta objects designed for Seletti. Taking stylistic cues from the ancient Greek colonies of southern Italy, the collection includes familiar motifs from Doric and Ionic columns, wave-patterning, and whimsical busts sculpted with reference to antiquity. Thus, the works translate traditional southern Italian craft through a playful and contemporary lens, a common theme among the designer’s body of work.

The team describes the spirit of the collection: ‘Magna Graecia tells an ancient story which, through Seletti, finds its own way of entering contemporary daily life with irony and grace.’

Amphora, ‘Greek Posture 1’ | images © Alfredo Muscatello

antonio aricò + seletti bring the mediterranean to the world

Antonio Aricò crafts the Magna Graecia collection for Seletti — now on view at Maison&Objet — as a family of objects for both outdoors and indoors. The designer hopes that the objects will invade terraces, gardens, verandas but also lounges, living rooms and entrance halls. The ubiquitous terracotta material is closely linked to the Mediterranean tradition and typical across southern Italy. With this in mind, Aricò introduces the project to bring those warm and sunny atmospheres to interiors across the world.

‘Terracotta is, apparently, a very poor material, but one can do magic with it,’ says Antonio Aricò. ‘I am fascinated by its ‘nude’ color and the natural imperfection of its thicknesses, qualities that prompted me to create a family of objects that could speak of craftsmanship and at the same time tell passionate stories through the interpretation of Magna Graecia decorations.’

Capital, ‘Ercole’

translating Greek tradition through modern design

The objects within Antonio Aricò’s Magna Graecia collection range from functional to decorative objects. Functional pieces include vases with Doric, Greek, or wave ornamentation are crafted in both standing and wall-mounted editions. A jug is sculpted to evoke the familiar stereotype of Grecian pottery, while an Ionic column serves as either a pedestal or an ashtray.

Meanwhile, decorative objects include the busts Man and Poppea, along with two large and sensual ‘bronzes’ inspired by the famous sculptures of Riace. Vases take the shape of male and female heads inspired by the ceramics of Caltagirone, while a cup and an ‘amphora’ jar show battle decorations and love scenes.

complete collection, ‘The Discovery’