Archivio Carlo Orsi

"Carlo Orsi blurs genres, and when he gazes with the same curious wonder at a seductive billiards model, an enchanted child in front of a painting, or that traffic officer in a white uniform posing at the Duomo subway stop—who will become the subject of one of his most famous photographs—you never quite know whether he relied on his taste for commissioned work or his instinct as a photojournalist. Then, when you least expect it, he places a designer chair not at the center of his studio among lights and backdrops, but on the roof of a Medini Circus wagon. It is his playful use of “out-of-context” settings that, by surprising those who observe them, creates incredibly original photographs."

(Roberto Mutti, “La curiosità come guida”, in Carlo Orsi. Miracoli a Milano, catalogue of the exhibition at Palazzo Morando, Milan, October 31, 2024 - February 2, 2025, eds. Giangiacomo Schiavi and Giovanni Terruzzi [Milan: Moebius 2024], 17)

Alias is an Italian design company founded in 1989, best known for producing furniture and seating with innovative design. Since its inception, Alias has collaborated with prominent designers—among them Alberto Meda, Giandomenico Belotti, and Hella Jongerius—distinguishing itself through attention to functionality and refined aesthetics. The brand is especially appreciated for its lightweight, stackable chairs, often made from materials such as metal and plastic, combining elegance and practicality. Over recent decades, Alias has helped redefine industrial design by carefully balancing form and function in its products and embracing continuous innovation.