Enzo Mari is considered one of the most intellectual and influential international designers of the second half of the 20th century. His style: concise, clear and essential. His work: characterized by a critical examination of the questions of visual perception, functionality and beauty of things themselves, which he once also addressed at KPM Berlin.

Mari was originally known for his furniture and product designs, which, characterized by robustness and minimalism, opposed the increasingly mass-produced society of the time. Between 1993 and 1996, the Italian designer and artist Enzo Marie worked closely with the KPM workshop and today's head designer Thomas Wenzel to develop objects with a strong character, which today enjoy classic status.

MARI Vase - 1994

The first result of the intensive collaboration between the master workshop and Enzo Mari is a vase collection with recognition value: based on the archetype of the amphora, a whole system of different variants of the basic shape was developed, which shines as a solitaire, in a fused duo and with different decors. Clarity and symmetry characterize the elegant shape named after Mari, which tapers both upwards and downwards and is reminiscent of antique amphorae. It also demonstrates Mari's functional aspirations: the vase, which is still available today in different decor variations and sizes, is given a firm stand by a metal plate installed on one side, which serves as a base.

Service BERLIN - 1996

Developed in 1996 by Enzo Mari and the KPM workshop, the BERLIN service is characterized by its unagitated, modern character, which earned the service the "iF Design Award" two years after its creation. Mari gave a central piece of the service, the coffee and tea pot, a look that was unconventional for the time and still stands out today: a body in an almost perfect spherical shape meets a strikingly large, inverted handle and thus conveys the individuality and non-conformity of its former creator to this day.

Creative collaboration

KPM head designer Thomas Wenzel also remembers the collaboration with the highly opinionated controversial artist: "Enzo Mari had a reputation for being an uncomfortable spirit. And indeed, nothing could withstand his critical eye until he himself had dismantled it into all its components in order to rethink it in reconstruction. This holistic and consistent, I would almost say uncompromising way of thinking and working impressed me the most."

Enzo Mari died on October 19, 2020 at the age of 88. His designs created for KPM Berlin can be seen from 17.10.20 to 18.04.21 as part of the Enzo Mari exhibition at the Triennale Milano curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist.