Limited
Innovation, experimentation, uniqueness. The Limited section gathers works and objects born from a continuous research process on silicone, the material that has always defined Alessandro Ciffo’s expressive language.
Limited editions and one-of-a-kind pieces that challenge the boundaries between art and design, exploring new shapes, colors, and tactile sensations. Each creation is the result of a pure artistic gesture, a dialogue between matter and vision.
Il tavolo di P. - 2024
A gold silicone collection celebrates the most significant moments of an almost thirty-year artistic journey, first presented at the Rossana Orlandi Gallery in Milan.
This retrospective brings together iconic creations, reinterpreted through gold, a symbol of light and transformation. Each piece marks an evolution in material experimentation, expressing the dialogue between past and present, creativity and memory.
La Bürsch - 2024
The Bürsch is a domestic landscape made of monolithic alien marbles, set in large granite frames, all crafted from regenerated silicone. The name evokes the ancient term used in the Cervo Valley in Biella to refer to a home, a place deeply connected to the history and materials of the region, such as sienite.
Through the manipulation of silicone and the recovery of waste materials from his workshop, the appearance of this stone is faithfully reproduced, bringing to Milan what was once used for the city’s sidewalks. Today, in a contemporary key, it becomes the protagonist of exclusive and refined environments.
CUBOH - 2023
CUBOH is a contemporary mosaic of magnetic cubic modules with infinite configurations. A project that brings the art of silicone into everyday life, transforming creativity into an open and shared game. Like spontaneous flora or moving swarms, each element is part of a larger, free, and ever-evolving system.
Hellas - 2023
HELLAS XXII is born from the collaboration between Alessandro Ciffo and Sonia Pedrazzini, creating a collection of silicone vases that seem to come from a journey through time. Inspired by the classical forms of ancient Greece, such as amphorae, cups, and kraters, the vases depart from tradition, becoming futuristic reinterpretations of historical artifacts.
The elegant arches that characterize them, welded together like a “skeleton of memory,” make them objects of unprecedented beauty: simultaneously soft and rigid, solid and flexible. These vases seem to be produced by a time machine, “dematerializing” them before “rematerializing” them in an altered version, breaking down the boundaries between past and future.
Suspended Gravity - 2021
Suspended Gravity is an experimental project that explores the movements and interactions of silicone within itself. A deep investigation into the fluidity and dynamics of materials with varying densities, where movement becomes a visible dance thanks to the transparency of the silicone itself.
Through the injection of color, it has been possible to “look inside” the material, observing how it pushes, pulls, and manipulates naturally. The project focuses on understanding and controlling these flows, creating a play of tensions and suspensions that challenge the perception of the material and its potential.
Suspended Gravity is a reflection on the movement of matter and its behavior in a space of uncertainties, where the force of gravity is suspended, yet the material continues to tell its story in a dynamic and visible way.
Umbra - 2019
In 2019, at the Masieri Foundation Pavilion in Venice, Umbra 5.1 was presented, an exhibition of tall vases that seem to dance like living creatures. These pieces, characterized by a new version of silicone, softer and more harmonious, reflect the special light of Venice, evoking Murano glass.
Transparent and glossy, the vases recall the fragility of blown glass, but stand out for the uniqueness of the work, which merges design and production into a single creative gesture. Through physical and artistic commitment, the material takes shape through calibrated movements, creating art that blends strength and delicacy, order and imagination.
Jolly Color - 2017
A collection that expresses a playful and surprising character, as the name itself suggests. The colored spikes, fading into similar tones, add a dynamic and lively dimension to the piece, creating a captivating contrast between the softness of the silicone and the energy of the colors.
Each spike seems to emerge unexpectedly, giving the vase a unique personality and a visual effect that captures attention. The result is a piece that, despite its apparent simplicity, manages to astonish and fascinate with its unusual combination of form and color.
Murano 5.0 - 2016
The MURANO 5.0 collection was born from the desire to engage with the tradition of glassmaking, translating the shapes, sensations, and some of the techniques typical of glass into silicone craftsmanship.
This project came to life thanks to two key events: the discovery of a silicone that offers exceptional transparency and a visit to a Murano furnace, where Ciffo had the opportunity to observe the work of master glassmakers up close. Their gestures and artistry inspired an attempt to recreate, with silicone, the illusion of glass, while maintaining the freshness and modernity typical of this material.
Comodone - 2016
The Raw Nature collection, presented at the Dilmos gallery and sponsored by Elle Decor Brazil, is inspired by the untouched beauty of nature. The project comes to life from the idea of a table designed to perfectly blend into a forested environment, where nature merges with art. The textures evoke the bark of trees, recalling the organic and natural element, while the table legs transform into extensions, serving as support points that offer a sense of stability and connection to the ground.
Silicone, as always, plays its fundamental role, softening the edges and giving the table a softness that contrasts harmoniously with the sharper lines of nature. A project that transforms the material, giving life to a piece that is not only designed for use but also integrates seamlessly and harmoniously into any natural environment.
Food - 2016 / 2019
The table is one of the most intimate moments of daily life, an occasion for sharing where we surround ourselves with materials that instill security and tranquility, such as a fabric tablecloth, ceramic plates, or glass cups. These are elements that reassure us, leaving no room for doubt. But introducing a new material, like silicone, into this traditional setting is a bold challenge. It is a delicate step, yet despite this, the material manages to integrate naturally, not altering the atmosphere, but rather enriching it with a touch of freshness and creativity.
Every instance where silicone has been introduced to the table has resulted in surprising outcomes. It is an act of trust that allowed the material to pass an important test: entering the world of food and conviviality without losing its identity but adding new beauty and unexpected value. A fusion that combines irony, imagination, and a more intellectual reflection, creating unique and captivating moments.
Shangai - 2014
Strongly evocative of building blocks, the colored silicone beams serve as an unusual and unique support for the glass tabletop. Designed to be versatile and interchangeable, they can be rearranged into countless configurations without compromising the support they provide to the entire structure.
Ciffo’s Shanghai coffee table for Established & Sons has the ability to reshape and adapt easily to different spaces, from domestic to contract environments.
Password - 2013
The exhibition “Operazione Password”, inaugurated on September 10, 2013, by Internocortile, marks an important milestone. On display is a series of paintings made with pigmented silicone, varying in sizes and featuring LED backlighting, evoking a dialogue between matter and light.
This marks an approach to painting, creating works that blend the informal and the magmatic landscape style. In this series, silicone becomes both the medium and the message, employing an innovative technique that combines randomness and artistic intent. The backlighting enhances the layering of pigments, adding depth and movement to the surface. In this context, Ciffo does not aim for a simple imitation of past masters, but instead creates a highly personal pictorial language, inviting the viewer to decipher a new vision: Silicone Painting, where material and message merge.
Iperbolica - 2012 / 2017
During the Salone del Mobile in Milan, Alessandro Ciffo presented Iperbolica, a new collection of 11 unique silicone armchairs, entirely self-produced, at the Triennale di Milano.
Iperbolica is the name of a series that stems from a research journey started in 2008 with the Scaccomatto armchair (chessboard style), presented by Dilmos in Milan during Design Week. This was followed by Cubik (2009), his first inflatable model, and Damien, his first armchair dedicated to an artist. Other models include Gerhard (2010) and Alberto (2011), all created using compressed air, which gives the shape solidity while also offering softness and comfort.
This new series is more functional and durable over time, thanks to the use of elastic polyurethane foam instead of air, and is dedicated to masters of art, whose names are only evoked through the colors that represent them: Anselm, Claude, Ettore, Jason, Jean-Michel, Joan, Mark, Michelangelo, Victor, Willem. Finally, an ironic play portrays the artist himself in a cheeky way through the silicone armchair Ale.
Samba Masai - 2012
A meeting of different visions that merge into an unexpected balance. The collaboration with Dum Dum, created by the union of two distant yet connected creative approaches, is rooted in self-production and a sincere friendship. From this synergy emerge objects that combine aesthetic and technical sensibilities, giving life to unique pieces where every detail reflects the dialogue between two artistic identities.
A fusion that demonstrates how the meeting of different personalities can generate new perspectives and redefine the boundaries of creativity.
Escargot - 2012
The growth of the snail follows a principle of natural balance: its shell expands to an optimal limit, beyond which excessive weight would become an obstacle to its existence. This logic of self-regulation is a powerful metaphor for sustainability, which is often associated with limitless growth, when in reality, it should be understood as the ability to sustain what we have created, protecting and nurturing it.
From this reflection emerges an alternative approach to work and production, far from the logic of mass markets and closer to the artisanal and collaborative dimension. In Ciffo’s workshop, silicone becomes the focal point of relentless experimentation, an ever-evolving material that embodies a dialogue between creativity, craftsmanship, and research. Here, the artisan is not just an executor, but also a designer, communicator, and innovator, in a circular process where mistakes become opportunities and production blends with critical reflection.
Ciffecento - 2011
At the invitation of FIAT, Alessandro Ciffo had the opportunity to reinterpret the iconic 500 using his signature material: silicone. A project that blends art, design, and innovation, involving a select group of artists and designers who, with their creativity, breathe new life into this car, a symbol of Italian automotive tradition.
For this special edition, the 500’s body is adorned with the distinctive patterns of the Scaccomatto collection, featuring a checkerboard design that plays with vibrant color contrasts. This decoration is not only aesthetic but also a reflection on the material itself: the surface, made soft and pleasant to the touch, challenges the traditional rigidity of automobiles, offering a unique sensory experience.
A tribute to experimentation, this project also represents a mark of prestige, being selected by FIAT for a project that celebrates Italian design with a fresh and surprising perspective, transforming a car into an interactive work of art.
Monolight - 2010
The first approach to transparency marked a turning point in the experimentation with silicone, exploring the possibilities offered by the integration of light. The use of LEDs as a light source allowed, for the first time, the illumination of a silicone block from the inside, transforming it into a vibrant and ever-changing material.
Thus, monoliths were born, in which plexiglass panels with internal LEDs enhance the transparency of the material, revealing hidden layers and depth. An encounter between light and matter that opens new expressive perspectives, where silicone is no longer just a surface, but a living body capable of interacting with its surrounding environment.
Papelera - 2010
Papelera is a collection of tables and poufs inspired by Portuguese trash cans, from which it takes its name. A polystyrene shell serves as the structural core, while fresh silicone is molded directly onto the surface, creating an effect of natural wrinkles and folds, almost textile in appearance.
The result is a kind of fluid and enveloping “smock,” giving each piece a unique and vibrant look. Between material experimentation and soft forms, Papelera transforms silicone into an expressive element, able to combine aesthetics with functionality.
Scacco Matto - 2008
Dilmos, the prestigious Milanese gallery for design research, presents Scaccomatto, a collection that merges art and functionality in a unique visual language. Armchairs, tables, coffee tables, cabinets, sideboards, chests, and paintings are all adorned with a checkerboard texture, where colors chase and overlap in a dynamic graphic play.
“I combine design with painting, painting with volumes, the rigidity of angles with the softness of material and gesture.” This collection is the natural evolution of the journey that began with soft solids, where silicone not only shapes the form but also complements it, transforming the object into a fluid entity in constant balance between structure and lightness.
Scaccomatto is not only an aesthetic research but also a challenge to the boundaries of design: silicone softens rigid geometries, overturns the rules, and puts everything in check, suggesting a new creative and expressive freedom.
I-King - 2007
I-King is born from a unique spatula technique, where each gesture and stroke adds a distinctive color and effect. Thousands of layers of silicone are stacked one after the other, creating a rich and dynamic texture that evolves with each application. But the process doesn’t end there: by viewing the fabric from the opposite side, from a different perspective, the vases transform into something deeper. They become paintings, a visual interpretation that evokes distant oriental landscapes, enveloping the viewer in a meditative atmosphere.
This series of vases, called I-King, is inspired by Eastern rituals and philosophy, with numbers playing a key role in the creative process. Every stroke, every number, every shape carries meaning, giving life to a work that is not only aesthetic but also a small symbolic ritual that brings new strength and perspective to the art of design.
Lucemolle - 2005
Lucemolle is born as an ironic play that challenges design conventions, poking fun at the fragility of traditional Murano glass through the elasticity of silicone. At first glance, the observer is deceived by the shape and resemblance to glass, but what truly surprises and unsettles is the tactile contrast: silicone is soft, flexible—a material that reveals its nature only upon contact.
The work invites the audience not just to look, but to touch, creating a complete sensory experience. The exhibition setup itself becomes an integral part, allowing visitors to explore the material directly.
Inspired by light and color play, Lucemolle transforms into a baroque chandelier that recalls Murano glass, but with a touch of surrealism: a form that resembles coral or an octopus, yet evokes a circus-like atmosphere, a visionary idea that challenges expectations and reinvents tradition. The light becomes “molle” (soft), dynamic and versatile, illuminating every corner with new energy.
Tipico / Atipico - 2003
The production of the ‘Tipico’ Vases stems from constant research and the intent to perfect the gesture. In this project, the material abandons the traditional tool of work and transforms, almost naturally, into the characteristic “baffo” of thixotropic silicone. This gesture, repeated with precision, becomes the heart of the creative process. Each single module is not merely a physical element, but represents a deliberate act, one that requires a movement that is always the same, yet always new in its execution.
The repetition of the gesture is never mechanical; it is the result of ongoing refinement and research, where control over the material merges with the pursuit of perfection and harmony. The result is a piece that, despite its simplicity, conveys the strength and importance of the gesture itself.