Matteo Thun

Matteo Thun (1952-) is one of the leading names in contemporary design and architecture in Italy. He was born in Bolzano into a family of ceramic entrepreneurs (whose company Thun spa, led by his younger brother Peter for decades, is now experiencing years of great success thanks to a shrewd franchising policy). Matteo Thun was for many years one of Ettore Sottsass's closest collaborators, with whom he founded the Memphis collective in 1981, the culmination of the great parable of Radical Design. His creations dating back to that period are marked by the extravagance and experimentation that characterized the whole movement, with a look of great interest and respect for the styles of the past. In 1985, a year after leaving Sottsass Associati, in his manifesto "The Baroque Bauhaus", he encourages colleagues to shy away from the incessant search for novelties that are always similar to themselves and to further enhance the legacies of the past. His style undergoes an evolution, approaching a timeless formal need, which can be found in his creations for brands such as Riva 1920, Artemide, Ethimo, Panzeri, Baxter, Dornbracht and many others. In 2001 he founded the Matteo Thun & Partners studio and also began an important international activity as an architect, centered above all on the luxury hotel sector.