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[ ART ON BOARD ]
THE OTHER SIDE OF EXCLUSIVITY The new wave of interior decoration on board large yachts is making more and more frequent use of works of art, like the marble sculptures by architect Enrico Gobbi of Team for Design studio by Micaela Zucconi
The Warrior, Black Marquinia marble. A complex sculpture of a man’s head, grooved all over. The artist fluted the marble head to represent life’s difficulties
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Above, He She, Bianco Carrara marble, representing the couple. Both faces look outwards almost to protect the priceless fortune they hold. Right, the architect and artist Enrico Gobbi, the creator of the sculpture and owner of the Team for Design studio in Venice
C
urrent trends in the world of boat and yacht interiors
final stages of our projects we’ve become increasingly involved in
increasingly
solutions.
the selection of the artistic works that round out the furnishing
Design and art are playing an important role in these
emphasise
personalised
concept. Drawing on my old passion I began to design sculptures
developments, especially in the context of large yachts, floating
for our clients’ exclusive use. This collection now comprises five
villas that must be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing as well
sculptures, each in a series of 10/12 numbered pieces, but in
as functional. One expert in the sector is architect and designer
fact all are different because they’re handmade by experienced
Enrico Gobbi, born in 1974. A true Venetian, he has the sea
artisans”, says Gobbi. The first in the series was “The Warrior”,
in his veins, a nautical awareness refined by following a post-
a male head that in some ways “Looks to the past, evoking the
graduate specialisation in the USA to complement his familiarity
portraits of the Roman age but given a modern interpretation.
with the architecture of La Serenissima. The magnificent marbles
The cuts refer to the ups and downs of life”. This work was
of his native city are a further source of inspiration that adds a
followed by “He She” – a sort of Janus with a masculine and
little extra touch to his projects, also influenced by the lessons
feminine face symbolising the couple and the precious value
of great modern architects like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and
of love – and others with a more abstract form, with more
the members of the Bauhaus school. “For some years now in the
of an architectural influence. “Twisting Thought” shows the 125
[ ART ON BOARD ]
perfect torsion of a geometric solid recalling a Dubai skyscraper,
for Design studio also uses for interior projects. “Art was already
intended to represent the human mind and its complex thought
present on large yachts, and owner Aristotle Onassis was a pioneer.
processes. With its twisting forms, this piece was very difficult
The furnishings resemble those of a land-based villa. My team and I
to achieve in marble. The reference to the emotions, the feelings
work on no more than five or six projects a year and we’re specialising
that unite two people, returns in “The Lovers”, a celebration of
in one-off pieces involving the skills of a number of top-class artisans.
the power of love through a harmonious, essential form. “The
It’s art on art”, says Gobbi. The sculptures in his collection will be
pieces are made by Decormarmi in the province of Vicenza,
seen on board almost all yachts, standing in important locations, not
a company with a long history in working this material. The
simply decorative objects. Some are on display in the Rossinavi office/
artisans rough-hew the block then work it by hand. Every
showroom in Viareggio, where most of these luxury vessels are built.
sculpture is revisited in the final stage. It has to be perfect. When
As a good Venetian, the artist’s next project is to transpose some of
the marble is being sculpted it’s exciting to discover the different
these projects into glass, taking advantage of the experience offered
veining that makes each piece unique”. Calacatta and Carrara
by several master glassmakers and an important gallery on Murano
marbles are the preferred materials, which the architect’s Team
that he has collaborated with before.
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This page, top left, Calla, Calacatta marble. The artist was inspired by this charming flower to create a sinuous sculpture that embodies a sense of purity and candour. Right, The Lovers, Black Marquinia marble, an abstract sculpture representing two petals standing close together, symbol of the strength of love between two people. To side, Abbraccio, Bianco Carrara marble. Left-hand page, Twisting Thought, Black Marquinia marble. In the dining room, The Warrior
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[ ART ON BOARD ]
These images: three pieces designed by Enrico Gobbi and made by Decormarmi, a company with a long history of working in this material
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