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Exploring Imagination, Craft, and the Subconscious with Antonella Maione and Mauro Cazzaro
KANZ Architetti founders Antonella Maione and Mauro Cazzaro consider humor an indispensable part of their practice, but take their work seriously. By that, we don’t only refer to a certain rigor and thoughtfulness, but also to the underlying themes that give all KANZ projects exceptional depth and wit. The Italian duo explores fascinating ideas with an experimental approach, resulting in spaces and objects that are multilayered and intriguing – always.
Metaphysical concepts, late 20th century cognitive philosophies, defining abstract spaces, activating the subconscious – these are some of the themes the talented Antonella Maione and Mauro Cazzaro explore in their work, with captivating outcomes. And that’s just one facet of their multi-disciplinary practice. Collaborating with local craftspeople, the Venice-based KANZ Architetti also designs beautiful and playful objects that weave a poetic thread between tradition, technical possibilities and innovation.
With this lighthearted interview, we wanted to take the opportunity to shed some light on the thought process, choices and unbound imagination that bring KANZ projects to life. Our laid-back discussion touches upon subjects as varied as current projects, dream collaborations and future plans to more personal topics like favorite pastimes, guilty pleasures and the music that captures the heart of KANZ. Read on to meet Antonella Maione and Mauro Cazzaro – you’ll quickly understand why we’re such huge fans of their work.
Where are you right now?
At home.
What can you see from where you are?
The sky and the rooftops of Venice.
Describe what you create:
We are architects who create spaces and objects. Alongside our architectural and interior design work, in 2014 we founded KANZ, an independent design brand featuring a collection entirely designed by us and made in collaboration with skilled artisans.
What is the most important thing you have designed so far?
Our life together.
What is your favorite material to work with?
Today, it’s glass because of the experience and knowledge we’ve gained over the past 10 years. However, there are still many materials we’d like to explore.
If your work had a soundtrack, what would be the opening song?
“Odara” by Caetano Veloso.
Describe the project you’re working on right now:
We’re considering expanding the “Isola” family from the KANZ collection, starting with a Murano-blown glass stool. We want to create more large-scale blown glass objects that move beyond their purely decorative associations to become protagonists in inhabited spaces.
If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
We’d love to collaborate with Jasper Morrison for his attention to detail and the simplicity of his designs. There’s something ancestral in his forms, a natural sense of well-being.
How do you know when a project is “finished”?
When it comes to objects, we’re certain our work is “finished” when the public responds by purchasing them.
What is the one thing your studio absolutely cannot be without?
Humor.
If your studio had a motto, what would it be?
What’s for dinner tonight?
What do you do when you’re not working?
In everyday life, we enjoy spending time with our family, cooking, and hosting dinners with friends. On vacation, we travel a lot, exploring places deeply by immersing ourselves in their daily life and building lasting relationships with the people we meet.
What is your favorite place in the world? And why?
Venice, the city where we live. Its greatest wonder is that it offers the sense of community of a small village while also providing the cultural and artistic offerings of a global metropolis.
Ten years from now, you’ll be…
Older…we just hope to maintain our enthusiasm.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Living while traveling indefinitely.
Concrete or glass?
Glass.
City or countryside?
City.
Remember or forget?
Remember.
Aliens or ghosts?
Aliens.
Light or dark?
Light.
