Born in 1970 by Livio Castiglioni and Gianfranco Frattini, and defined by Domus as "a snake of endless light", it immediately became part of the history of Italian and world design. Its structure in translucent flexible PVC, reinforced and with resin terminals, makes it virtually indestructible. The various elements can be connected in series up to a maximum of four pieces can be rolled up as desired. It emits a diffused light and its timeless design makes it an evergreen suitable for all environments. Thanks to its flexibility, that makes it unique in the form, it can be placed on the ground or on a table, hung or twisted to invent new games of light every day. Produced from 1970 to 1983 and slightly modified in 1999, today it has been rebuilt replacing the classic light bulbs with high efficiency LEDs. Boalum is part of numerous collections of design museums, starting with the Museum of Modern Art in Philadelphia or the Museum of Italian Design in Milan.
GIANFRANCO FRATTINI .
Gianfranco Frattini was born in Padua on 15 May 1926. He graduated with a degree in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1953.
Frattini opened his own professional practice in Milan, after having worked in the office of his teacher and mentor Gio Ponti. Frattini became an industrial designer
by default when he lacked appropriate lighting and furniture for his interiors. His collaboration with Cesare Cassina for his namesake company started in 1954, followed by collaborations with many other manufacturers, such as Bernini, Acerbis, Fantoni, Luci, Knoll, Lema, Artemide (for whom among others pieces with Livio Castiglioni he designed the historic “Boalum” lamp, a true masterpiece) and many others. In 1956 he co-founded ADI - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale - and throughout his career he practiced both industrial design and architecture, focusing mostly on interiors. He was a board member of the Triennale di Milano. Great connoisseur of wood craftsmanship, he forged a long and fruitful professional partnership with the master craftsman Pierluigi Ghianda.
Frattini won many professional awards and prizes, among them the prestigious Compasso d'Oro.
Gianfranco Frattini died in Milan on 6 April 2004.
His products are displayed in the permanent collections of the biggest design and decorative art museums in the world.
LIVIO CASTIGLIONI .
Livio Castiglioni was born in 1911 in Milan, where he graduated in architecture in 1936. He opened a firm with architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni, which his brothers Pier Giacomo and Achille would later join. Lights, sounds, and audiovisuals were his main interests. From 1940 to 1956 he was a consultant
to Phonola and later (from 1960 to 1964) to Brionvega. In 1956 he founded ADI (Associazione per il Design Industriale) with his brothers and was its president from 1959 to 1960.
From 1972 to 1979 he was the co-owner of the firm on Via Presolana with his son Piero, and designed lighting projects for several public and private art galleries, as well as for hotels, offices, showrooms, shops, private homes, and temporary shows in Italy and abroad. The special editions of their lighting appliances, crafted on a small scale, included the Scintilla lighting system.
He designed for several companies, including Alessi, Artemide, Fontana Arte, Stilnovo.
He died in Milan in 1979.
