Marco Campardo, Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel with Modern Design Review

Marco Campardo Bianco e Nero Coffee Chess Table Silicastone Ace Hotel

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee/chess table, detail),
800 x 800 x 430 mm, cast Silicastone, 2018

Marco Campardo Bianco e Nero Coffee Chess Table Silicastone Ace Hotel work in progress

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (chess set),
work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee/chess table), work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (chess set), work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee/chess table), work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel
(coffee/chess table),
work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee/chess table), work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee table),
work in progress, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (chess set, detail), various dimensions, cast Silicastone, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel
(chess set, detail), various dimensions,
cast Silicastone, 2018

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel (coffee/chess table),
800 x 800 x 430 mm, cast Silicastone, 2018

Marco C

Bianco e Nero

Bianco e Nero for Ace Hotel, 2018

Alusid Silicastone
Unique piece

Made in occasion of the exhibition Ready Made Go 4
Curated by Modern Design Review

Bianco e Nero is a games table for chess and draughts made for the Ace Hotel in London, inviting guests to come and play. The table that calls attention to its function with a monolithic form and large sculptural pieces. But when not being played upon, the table easily functions as a regular piece of furniture.
The table is a reinterpretation of the traditional black and white checkered games board. Inspired by the rich texture of Venetian terrazzo, Bianco e Nero is cast from a unique gradient, Silicastone, made by Alusid. The material is made from 100% recycled glass and porcelain and is baked from stone-like slabs of material. The gradient shifts from white to black, indicating the direction that the pieces need to flow to defeat the opponent.
TTThe squares of the checkered chessboard are minimal, marked out by holes drilled into the surface of the table, therefore allowing the table to successfully blend with its surroundings. To match the table, a chess and draughts set was also produced from Alusid’s Silicastone, with each form determined by the inclination of the diamond blade cutting the slabs. The pieces are purposefully XL and add to the gravitas of the experience of playing at the table. Lastly, although Bianco e Nero is designed to feel monolithic, it can be easily taken apart and moved due to a simple system of connections.

Marco C

Marco Campardo Studio
90 Haymerle Road (Studio 14G)
SE156SB Peckham – London
United KingdomInstagram

For studio enquiries, commissions, press or internships please write to studio@marcocampardo.com

Marco Campardo is a London-based designer focusing on production, research and teaching. He has a particular interest in making and material experimentation as a form of critical practice, using it to explore wider narratives about culture, materiality, identity and authenticity.
MMMarco’s work starts with hands-on experimentation and research to question the nature of contemporary models of production. With a keen interest in materiality, his research seeks to subvert or adapt industrial manufacturing processes to propose an alternative to standardised, mass production. The final result of this process is aesthetically and conceptually refined objects, whose final form is determined by the very process of making. Playing with high-end and lo-fi methods and materials, Marco’s projects can be seen as a commentary on the value of making and craftsmanship.

Awards
Winner Ralph Saltzman Prize 2023, the Design Museum
Winner Wallpaper* Design Awards 2020

Solo exhibitions
Ralph Saltzman Prize 2023, the Design Museum, London, 2023
Jello, curated by simple flair, hosted by riviera, Fuorisalone, Milan, 2022

Group exhibitions
Doppiafirma, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, Fuorisalone, Milan 2024
The Farm Shop, Fels Gallery, Fuorisalone, Milan 2024
Perfectly Imperfect – Flaws, Blemishes and Defects, Gewerbe Museum, Winterthur 2023
The Farm Shop, Fels Gallery, London Design Festival, London 2023
Teatro Albers, AMO and Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Fuorisalone, Milan 2023
Raw Senses, OKRO Gallery, Zurich Design Weeks, Zurich, 2022
In the Direction of Colour, Fels Gallery, London 2022
Slanted/Enchanted, ESP Gallery, Toronto, 2022
Future Heritage, Decorex, London, 2021
Joy, Seeds Gallery, London, 2021
Where Things Land Down, Fels Gallery, London 2021
Beirut Re—Store, Beirut, 2020
Art Making, Seeds Gallery, London, 2020
Under/Over, Marta LA Gallery, Los Angeles, 2020

Lectures and talks
Salvage: How can we build from existing things?, talk, Stockholm Furniture Fair, 2024
The Ralph Saltzman Prize 2023: Edward Barber in conversation with Marco Campardo, talk, the Design Museum, 2023
Augmented Autarky symposium, lecture, House of Today (HoT) and American University of Beirut, Beirut, 2023
Design Perspectives talk, MA Material Futures, London, 2021

Selected clients
Axel Arigato, AMO, Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, COS, Fondazione Cologni, Kelly Wearstler, Grymsdyke Farm, Selfridges, Wandler, HEM, Vero International, Centro Pecci, MACRO Museum, Michelangelo Foundation, Tate Modern.

Selected press
New York Times
Financial Times
Wallpaper Magazine
Architectural Digest
Interior Design
The world of interiors
Surface Magazine
Dezeen
Domus magazine
Sight Unseen
Living Corriere
Monocle
Design Milk

Credits
Web developer: Andrea Serrani
Typeface: Alpha Regular by Omnitype