marcel wanders brings the show to town with alessi circus

the ‘alessi circus’ collection by marcel wanders showcases a family of objects which capture the color and excitement usually found under the big top. the dutch designer has added a sprinkle of magic to the series of tableware and household accessories, by including five limited edition pieces to officina alessi, with each one representing an important circus character; ‘the jester’, ‘the strongman’, ‘the ballerina’, ‘the ringleader’ and ‘the candyman.’

‘the jester’ (gilberto) – corkscrew

the ‘alessi circus’ collection consists of 29 products including the five limited-edition officina alessi pieces. each object is characterised by rhomboidal, circular, striped and pointed geometric patterns, in a perfect balance of colors, alternating between white, black, yellow, red, gold and silver.

marcel wanders reveals the distinct personality and function within all of the five characters, by injecting the spirit and energy related to each influence. the fantasy world of wanders combined with alessi’s high manufacturing quality and expertise in working steel plate, has resulted in this precious collection of table sculptures, which can be collected and handed down from generation to generation.

‘the jester’ (gilberto)

‘obsessed with opening bottles, wine-drunk joker, gilberto, expresses himself not only with words but with sounds in general. always laughing, shouting, jumping, maniacally gesturing, gilberto does anything to get in the spotlight. constantly corking up bottles with his spinning dance moves, more than once gilberto has accidentally screwed himself stuck into different random objects. he has never been stuck for very long though, as there are always people around to unscrew him – and the party continues!’ marcel wanders

‘the strongman’ (marcello) – nutcracker

‘the strongman’ (marcello)

‘growing up stomping grapes in his parents’ vineyard, marcello soon discovered his love for demolition. as his muscles grew bigger, female attention grew more intense and marcello’s confidence also grew. going from stomping grapes to squeezing olives to hardcore nutcracking, marcello’s shaped oily body is the dream of many women. they should beware, marcello is not only good at breaking nuts but also hearts.’ marcel wanders

‘the ringleader’ (massimo) – call bell

‘the ringleader’ (massimo)

‘with a never-ending bell sound in his head no one can blame massimo for being a bit mad. from his high seat he sings out orders with his resonating voice as he is chauffeured around by his hungry little monkey. in massimo’s head, he’s still the leader and everyone lets him believe so, but in fact, he lost that position a long time ago when the bell sound took over his mind. luckily, massimo’s big belly is the basis of a beautifully strong voice so no one sees a reason to burst his bubble. massimo can happily keep collecting applause in front of a full audience.’ marcel wanders

‘the candyman’ (alberto) – candy dispenser

‘the candyman’ (alberto)

‘a hyperactive sugar addict, alberto stays in control only when his mouth is filled with sweets. as he travels the world, he collects sweet treats in his hat as tasty memories. once, alberto fell in love with a pretty belgian praline, but as his addiction grew stronger than his love, the sweet piece of chocolate very soon ended up in his stomach. he has still not forgiven himself for his terrible action, but he will remember the delicious taste for eternity.’ marcel wanders

‘the ballerina’ (valentina) – musical box

‘the ballerina’ (valentina)

‘a great belly dancer, but after getting discovered at a street performance by a well-known choreographer, valentina fell in love with the gracious postures and the spinning movements of ballet. this little mouse had never seen a more promising ballerina and decided to dedicate all of his time to make her the best. now, two years later, they are seen together on red carpets all over the world, not only as colleagues but as today’s most shining couple.’ marcel wanders

the ‘alessi circus’ collection

the ‘alessi circus’ collection features a colourful range of tableware items: placemate, bowls, round trays, ice bucket, bottle stands, wine cooler, salad bowls, mugs, small bowls and containers. the series is defined by multicoloured circles, stripes, diamonds and segments which evoke fabrics of circus costumes, the big top and circus bunting.

the ‘alessi circus’ collection

‘each piece is characterised by round and geometric decorations and by circles in the form of the strips or conical shapes in white, black, yellow, red and gold and that evoke the feelings wonder and fun when, as children, we found ourselves enthralled for the first time by the magic of the towering circus tent.’ alberto alessi

the ‘alessi circus’ collection will be presented at maison et objet fall 2016 from the 2nd to the 6th of september.

the ‘alessi circus’ collection