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Focus: glass
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Incalmi | ph. Giacomo Bianco
“At Incalmi, everything becomes one.” It is the first point of our manifesto, and it describes the experimental process that leads us to the combination of different materials. The primary characteristic of our objects is in fact that they are multi-material. We use glass, metals, marble, wood, rattan, leather — the materials of traditional Italian craftsmanship, which we reread in the light of a contemporary aesthetic. In this series of articles, we explore them one by one. Here is glass, one of our materials of choice.

Why glass?

Glass is a solid, hard material with a transparent, translucent or opaque appearance. Originally it is a dry mixture of sand and dust that, brought to 1400°, becomes a liquid mixture, ready to be shaped. The mixture takes on different colors thanks to the addition of other substances — from cobalt for blue to selenium or copper for red, from chrome for green to fluorinated compounds for milky white opal. The processing of glass then takes on many forms starting from the initial blowing, the artisanal technique with which molten glass is shaped by blowing inside a barrel.
Glass processing | Fornace Mian, Murano
Incalmi and the glass

That glass is one of our materials of choice is no secret: the “incalmo” from which we take its name is in fact a glass technique with which two melts joined together are obtained, different in color or decoration. In fact, the roots of Incalmi lie in the tradition of Murano glass: it was in a historic furnace in Venice that we began to be interested in design and product development, and even if over time we dedicated ourselves to the search for excellence in the most diverse fields of made in Italy know-how, glass remains one of the materials we love the most.
Alchimie Lift, Incalmi | ph. Boris Bincoletto
Detail of the Alchimie Lift, Incalmi | ph. Studio Pointer
Our approach to glass processing

In our objects, glass is almost always present, both in the traditional way and in the form of decorative enamel on copper. Another technique that we have studied a lot is that of enamel on glass, an ancient process that we have reinterpreted inspired by the brilliant craftsman-designer Maurice Marinot. Even with regard to glass, our approach is to challenge the material: this is what we have done with designers  Debonademeo, with whom we have created the spectacular Ossimori collection in laminated artisanal glass and the vases, trays, and lamps by Alchimie.
Alchimie Collection, Incalmi | ph. Boris Bincoletto
Glass made in Incalmi: the example of the Alchimie collection

The Alchimie texture represents an evolution of glass processing. The name refers to the ancient complex of theories and techniques that aimed to transform vile metals into gold. What happens in this collection is that the glass powder, cleverly worked, creates plays of transparencies and effects that give the glass the appearance of marble and hard stones.
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