Literature:

Philippi, STARCK, Cologne 2000, pp. 329, 439.

The auction year 2021 manifested a passionate increase in the interest in the work of Philippe Starck. With about 40 objects from a private collection that we present in this chapter, we hope to drum up your enthusiasm once again. The carefully curated collection reflects the diversity and creative facets of the French designer, from plastic ashtrays and his clean architectural models in polished aluminum to the 'Anna Rustica‘ chair (1986), equipped with only one armrest, in which Philippe Starck's rebellious humor comes to the fore. In addition to internationally known and popular designs such as the 'Hot Bertaa‘ kettle and the 'Jim Nature‘color TV, other electrical appliances, objects of table culture as well as door handles and coat hooks are part of the offer. The entire limited O.W.O range of polished aluminum objects from 1986 - 1988 is part of this collection. Particularly exciting in the synopsis are the architectural models, all of which illustrate Philippe Starck's emphasis on the object-like and sculptural in his buildings. His designs switch back and forth between enigmatically organic, strictly geometric, and strikingly symbolic. In any case, the architecture communicates 'loudly' with the inhabitants of the city, as illustrated by the office and commercial building 'Nani Nani' in Tokyo, sheathed with green copper slats and stuck upright in the urban fabric like a kind of shell. In German translation 'Nani Nani' means 'What? What?' and thus captures the feeling of interest and curiosity that arises when confronted with this building. Philippe Starck designed the buildings of the Asahi Brewery headquarters in an equally emblematic manner. The beer hall is crowned with a golden flame that seems to unbalance the building; next to it is the office tower, which imitates a beer glass with a white foam crown. A witty allusion that can be unraveled almost too quickly, but is quite impressive on such a scale.

The collection is complemented by objects by other designers who address wit and irony in a similar way to Philippe Starck. It remains unclear if the 'Niki‘ ashtray by Lawrence Laske, for example, is an ashtray or a cup. Giuseppe Raimondi's egg cup replicates the shape of the Guggenheim Museum and his salad bowl that of the Sydney Opera House. Isn't it tempting to bring the memory of a piece of great architecture to your own dining table?