We were welcomed into Alessi’s large arrangement of items, arranged from the newest, the nicest, and the contemporary ‘pop’ items in the back. These items were what is currently available in their store. What showed us the truer story of Alessi were the stories placed in their upstairs ‘museum’. This museum was out of the ordinary, no name tags, no pedastals. Instead the shelves were full of un-launched projects and designs. In this way, we were told, each object had a greater depth of struggle and of story.
We were shown the Bomb teapot, a rejected Mendini vase, and Stark’s famous lemon squeezers (or non-squeezers what have you). Yet my favorite story of all was that of the collaboration between Alessi and artists, specifically Salvador Dali. Their collaboration (to serve art + design to the lower class at an affordable price) would eventually become what Alberto Alessi would later call the biggest flop of his career. The complex nature of the projects increased their production costs and decreased the interest of the ‘common’ man. This being said, we were reminded that although this project was a flop, it was a revolutionary idea that set Alessi apart. Through this endeavor they proved their willingness to take risks and be innovative, two actions necessary for good design.
The greatest notion I received is that flops are evidence of honest work. Flops are the spice of design. Without them innovation is impossible, and design would remain stagnant.