The front door of my house is surrounded by a gorgeous mosaic of glass tiles. Whenever I leave home, I get to watch the light reflect off them beautifully. While I would love to take credit for designing such a captivating moment in my home, this mosaic was one of several unique design choices made by the previous owners. Still, every day that I see the mosaic, it makes me wonder… What else could tile do?
Well, after my tour of the new Bisazza showroom on Madison Ave in NYC, I have my answer!
Founded in Italy in 1956, Bisazza has since grown to be one of the leaders in mosaics, as well as their other cultural and artistic ventures. Like most artisanal Italian companies of the time, Bisazza began as a family business. Unlike most companies, however, Bisazza has continued to prioritize the intimate, special touch of family business, evident in their art and their collaborations.
I had the honour of being guided through the new showroom by Rossella Bisazza, daughter of company founder Renato Bisazza. After several years working as a professional ballerina in Milan, in 2002 Rossella joined her brother, Chief Executive Officer Pietro Bisazza, in running the company.
While guiding me through the showroom, Rossella shared how the skills she honed as a ballerina- elegance, discipline, and artistry -guide her both as an individual and as a leader in the family company. This is clearly evident in every aspect of their business, and brings a refreshing, authentic feel to both their artistry and to the showroom. As Rossella put it, “My work with Bisazza is about passion, culture, and family history. There is no separation between my private life, my personal cultural interests, and my professional life- everything is connected. To me, that is a privilege.”
The diversity of Bisazza’s partnerships shows in the work, which is as varied in content as it is in style. Recognizing the true power of collaboration, Bisazza has fostered relationships with lauded artists, designers, and architects from across the world. Their extensive catalogue of collaborators includes David Rockwell, Tom Dixon, and Fornasetti, to name a few. Fornasetti’s work has been a personal favorite of mine since I visited their showroom in Milan many years ago, while on a trip for the Salone del Mobile Milano trade show.
As we walked through the showroom Rossella explained to me how Bisazza is able to offer such a varied, comprehensive collection of unified pieces. “When we collaborate with artists and designers, we offer them carte-blanche,” she said. “We find this openness very stimulating, as our collaborations always unlock new possibilities and ways our products can be used.”
After touring the showroom, and seeing the kinds of mosaics these collaborations produce, I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree! By integrating cutting-edge, house-made software into their production, Bisazza has brought a modern shine to the ancient art of mosaic-making.
By scanning an image, Bisazza’s exclusive software can expedite the process, helping select the right tiles and colors for any piece. The software designs only in a perfect grid. Once the design comes this far, artisans step in, depending on the plan for the piece.
Some mosaics are then crafted by machine, resulting in geometric, pixel-like pieces with lines that blur from a distance and become sharper closer up. Others are completely done by hand, offering distinct and unique placements for every tile, as well as curving, organic shapes.
My favorite pieces were the ones that combined the immaculate precision of technological construction with the finesse and subtlety that only comes with handcrafted work. One standout design of flowers (hand-made) overlaying an abstract black-and-white background (machine-made) was a perfect representation of both how the design landscape has evolved around emerging technology, and how there is an aspect of human touch that can never be replicated. Much of design is interplay between clear edges and soft lines, and making them compliment one another best. Bisazza’s work embodies this harmony perfectly!
The art of hand-made mosaics dates back at least 5,000 years, with the oldest known mosaic found in modern-day Turkey. The massive mosaic covers 180 square feet, and was presumed to have served as the floor of a public building. One of Bisazza’s greatest strengths is their seamless integration of an ancient artform with their leadership in new developments within the craft, resulting in pieces which are both of-the-moment and utterly timeless.
While walking through the showroom, I couldn’t help but speculate how I would integrate more mosaics into my design work. While there are limitations with the material, like there is with any medium, the creative and design possibilities seem endless.
Since all of the work is custom, it would be easy to integrate a mosaic into almost any home, wherever it would best fit. It can also be easy to modify elements of a design to fit a space. Fully machine-made mosaics can be produced within four weeks! Pieces that include hand-work require more lead time.
When I arrived back at my home after the tour, I looked at the mosaic around my front door differently. I looked more closely at how the tiles had been laid, and how the gradient color of the tile worked to play with the natural light coming through the windows. I appreciated the precision of Bisazza’s machine-placed tiles, and recognized the grace and ease of hand-laid ones.
Taking a tour of the brand-new NYC Bisazza showroom was truly inspiring! Walking through Bisazza, I was reminded all over again of why I love design. Whether you’re able to experience their showroom in-person or you want to check them out online, I would invite any designer to take advantage of the opportunity to see such incredible, outstanding mosaics. It might just change the way you design your next project!
This a really interesting article. Love the mosaics!