New Made in Italy, out of old Made in Italy: adulterated, handcrafted, luxurious.
This is what Stefano Notargiacomo‘s creations are about. Roman designer who reinvents parts of vintage cars and motorbikes, mostly Italian vehicles, turning them into unique pieces suitable for the most sophisticated interiors all over the world.
The rear view mirror of a Ferrari Testarossa or the brake pedal of a Ferrari 360 becomes a lamp with a travertine marble base. An original carburettor from a sixties Vespa gives Notargiacomo inspiration for a lamp which sets itself up both as an art and design piece at the same time. A vintage Porsche logo decorates a refined desk glove box. A sophisticated lamp base is made out of the flexible pipe of a silencer, unique and valuable as much as the car where it comes from. The handcrafts refer to the worlds of cars and to the industrial style of distinguished Italian brands. All the mechanical pieces used in the works are still visible and recognisable, their second life dedicated to high design interior.
Notargiacomo says: “The point is not that the piece comes from a noble car or motorcycle, the key point is that every single work came from a mechanical part and on that part I moulded its shape. I find the pieces in specialized markets and online. The collectors themselves often provide me with spare parts as they are curious to see which creation can come out of a pedal, carburettor or rear view mirror“.
In his refined design works, Notargiacomo combines elements of prestigious cars with high level of handmade manufacturing; the skilful hands of the best Roman artisans assemble each part with the most rigorous precision. One over all: Lar – Lavori Artigiani Romani, a well known little workshop in the heart of Rome, that has been making exclusive tailor-made lampshades since 1938. When put together all the mechanical parts keep their original features, including signs of time, adding value to the final realisation. Commitment and dedication make a unique creation out of every piece. “I‘ve always been passionate about cars, not exclusively vintage ones. I believe that out of something so vibrant like a piece of waste of a prestigious car, which is what made Italy so renowned and appreciated all over the world, something very elegant is bound to be generated. This is how I started giving spare parts a second life, I aimed to keep that legend alive. I wanted to do that by giving them a new purpose in a way that you could keep hearing the engine roar at the same time“.
Stefano Notargiacomo‘s works were successfully exhibited in major events all over the world. In 2016 he took part in the contemporary art collective exhibition “Evolution in modern art” at Cultuur Centrum de Warf in Belgium, the “Milan Design Week” and DMY 2016, the ” Berlin International Design Festival “. In 2015 he participated in the “Spectrum Art Show” in Miami. Last May, he has shown ten creations at the party for the “Mille Miglia” drivers in Rome at Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel. At the moment his works can be seen in Rome at Spazio 40 Gallery and at EPM Interior Design Studio.
