Marble Stories.
A passion that spans five generations and five continents
Perlato di Sicilia: arabesque ivory tones, reminiscent of mother-of-pearl. Portoro marble: precious, black marble from the Gulf of Poets. White Lasa marble: white gold of South Tyrol, noble and crystalline, pure and perfect.
Italian marble. This is the most coveted stone in the dunes of the United Arab Emirates. Here, where every whim becomes reality, everything is (trans)formed: enamel, shells, pure gold.
The magnificent the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, the third largest in the Arab world, shines with the Italian genius of Fantini Mosaici, a real institution. In 2004, the Al-Nayhan royal family provided a private plane for Enrico Fantin, CEO and president. He was to make one of the most important pitches in the company's history. It is the story of a passion that spans five generations (122 years in 2022) and of the pharaonic project for the interior cladding of the Grand Mosque.
Italian design, ever so delicate floral motifs, in myriad shades and materials. Manufactured in Milan, gold and enamels from Italy, the purest white background marble from the province of Bolzano, a triumph of multicolored marbles from all over the world. A grandiose work, in both construction and transport, supported by the Italian government with SACE. An order worth over EUR 40 million, visited by about 6.6 million people (pre-COVID).
Tomorrow? Tomorrow is here; it is on the tables in the labs in Milan, with the sketches and the first drafts of materials that will decorate the homes of kings, heads of state and government.
The Fantin family has come a long way from their beginnings in Friuli; the “i” was added to create the brand name. In the UAE, they are also behind the Presidential Palace of Abu Dhabi, the residences of sheiks and the Versace Palace in Dubai.
Gianni Versace. A revolutionary of the classic. Miami Beach. Global market. There is a thread in the story of the Fantin family that leads to Florida, among the palm trees, the white beach, the long Ocean Drive, where in the 1990s, the designer commissioned the mosaics for the fabulous Casa Casaurina, which later became an exclusive hotel. Compendium of extreme luxury, Mediterranean references, such as the Greek symbol of the Maison. The Deco mansion is a prestigious Fantini calling card.
A thousand pieces of a glittering portfolio of history, culture, business: the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, high fashion boutiques and showrooms in Macau, New York, names that are the essence of style: Dior, Cartier, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton. Tomorrow? Tomorrow is here; it is on the tables in the labs in Milan, with the sketches and the first drafts of materials that will decorate the homes of kings, heads of state and government. Myriad tiles of new mosaics, waiting to take flight.
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7 luglio 2022
A journey through mosaic art. From Canuzzo di Cervia, Ravenna, to Hong Kong, via New York, Paris, Las Vegas and Dubai. The global success of Sicis
10 giugno 2022
In the villas of the ancient city, in the patrician domus of Herculaneum and Stabiae, mosaics and wall paintings “break through” the walls of the rooms and project them towards the gardens and the sea.
14 marzo 2023
The city stages the event for five months, from February to June. Mag talks to Hoor Al Qasimi, president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation and daughter of Sheikh Sultan Muhammad Al-Qasimi
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