Porca Miseria!
Porca Miseria! is not only an Italian curse often uttered by my grandfather. It is one of the lighting pieces made by one of the most dedicated of lighting designers Ingo Maurer, from the pieces of china porcelain figures he collected whilst travelling in China. The piece above L’Eclat Joyeu, one in the series gives you a good idea what the others looked like. Porca Miseria! is this what he said when he broke the figurines? Quite possible.
An exhibition of his unique pieces was shown at his New York store throughout November – I hope we’ll see more of these wonderful Porca China pieces in the near future.
For a more comprehensive survey of Ingo Maurer’s work, if you’re in the area, head off to the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern to view the travelling exhibition from the Vitra Design Museum until 15 Jan 2006.
Via MoCo loco
good morning,
i am interested to know more about the above shown lamp-skulpture of Ingo Maurer – as far as i know each piece is unique
the above shown is a favorti of mine and so please let me know
whether i can buy it and where. Thanks for further informations
Beat Huber
architecte
ruelle de la tour 6
CH-3977 Granges
Switzerland
As far as I recall this was made as a window display for his New York shop. I may have more information if I find a point of sale however I think it may have not been made as a sale item.
Porca oca !! I missed the exhibition at the Vitra. Any idea where I might catch the next showing? Grazie…
I am interested in the next showing anywhere near the area of Teramo in Abruzzo Italy. Grazie!
Villa Casale in Abruzzo
http://villacasale.net/
I saw that lamp in a window in SOHO, New York, 89, Grand Street. Never heart of Ingo Maurer before I innocently asked for the price. I was told $65,000, not $6,500!
Looks like the Rothschilds here in ole Blighty have got the dosh to commission the same piece for their Blue Dining Room which they politely translate into English as ‘oh my goodness’!
Waddesdon Manor – Blue Dining Room
Waddesdon Manor is a French Renaissance-style château, built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 1870’s to display his outstanding collection of art treasures and to entertain the fashionable world. The Blue Dining Room
with it’s startling chandelier made of broken modern porcelain, commissioned
for the room in 2003 and designed by Ingo Maurer called “Porca Miseria”
(“Oh my goodness” in Italian)…
Sofi-ona (September 2008)
Porca miseria doesn’t mean in any way “oh my goodness” in any language.