Multidisciplinary artist, sculptor and designer Ennio Chiggio was not only known for his Space Age lamps and voluptuous, modular Environ sofas, but he was also renowned as a technological innovator, electronic music producer and researcher, who explored the relationship between mathematics and art.
Born in 1938 in Naples, Chiggio studied technology and art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. While still in school, in 1957, Chiggio began painting kinetic art using tempera on cardboard and ink on paper. By 1960, he had joined the artists’ collective Gruppo N, founded by Alberto Biasi, Edoardo Landi, Manfredo Massironi and Toni Costa.
With Gruppo N, Chiggio participated in several exhibitions such as “Programmed Art,” presented by Italian intellectual Umberto Eco, which showed in Milan, Venice and Rome in 1962 and in London and New York in 1964. By the following year, Chiggio’s interests had turned to sound and music production, and he founded the Group of Experimental Phonology NPS (New Proposals Sound) with pianist and composer Teresa Rampazzi.
From 1964 to ’77, Chiggio operated a design studio that focused on furniture and lighting as well as glass and electromechanical objects. His most well-known lighting includes the Ciot floor lamp for Italian manufacturer Lumenform, sculptural table lamps and wall sconces for Emmezeta.
After closing his design studio in 1978, Chiggio dedicated his time to teaching, serving as a professor of design and industrial aesthetics at his alma mater. In 1996, he opened the Embtool multimedia research laboratory in Padua, where he made short films about art and architecture and conducted computational music research, exploring the relationship between mathematical models and artistic expression.
Throughout the 2000s until his death in 2020, Chiggio participated in several exhibitions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, the MACBA Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Buenos Aires and Museum Ritter in Waldenbuch, Germany. Public collections throughout Italy and Germany also feature his works.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of innovative Ennio Chiggio furniture.
Rare "California Chair" by Ennio Ludovico Chiggio (Gruppo N) for Nikol Internati
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in leucate, FR
Immerse yourself in the bold spirit of 1970s Italian design with this exceptional and extremely rare "California Chair," conceived in 1973 by the influential designer Ennio Ludovico ...
Metal
$10,591 / set
H 33.86 in W 20.87 in D 20.87 in
Mid-Century Modern Set of 10 'Topos' Chairs by Gruppo DAM for Busnelli, 1970s
By Gruppo DAM (Designer Associati Milano)
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Set of 10 'Topos' Chairs by Gruppo DAM for Busnelli, 1970s
Leather
Malaina Fibreglass Chair by Rodolfo Bonetto for Driade
By Rodolfo Bonetto
Located in London, GB
Iconic Malaina fibreglass chair designed by celebrated Italian designer Rodolfo Bonetto for Driade, exemplifying the bold experimental spirit of 1970s Italian modern design. Sculptur...
Fiberglass
$3,400 / set
H 39.38 in W 17.72 in D 19.3 in
Edoardo Landi "540" Dining Chairs for Nikol International, 1973, Set of 2
By Edoardo Landi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Edoardo Landi "540" dining chairs for Nikol International, black wood and white fabric, Italy, 1973, set of two Edoardo Landi designed the “540” dining chairs in 1973, at a time whe...
Fabric, Wood
Ennio Chiggio “Environ” Modular Sofa for Nikol International, 1969
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Ennio Chiggio “Environ” modular sofa for Nikol International, 1969 The Ennio Chiggio "Environ" sofa for Nikol International, designed in the 1960s, is a ...
Fabric, Foam, Chenille
$28,243Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.63 in W 122.84 in D 63 in
Environ 1 cotton-upholstered sofa by Ennio Chiggio for Nikol Italy, 1970
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Environ 1 modular sofa designed by Ennio Chiggio for Nikol International, 1970. Polyurethane foam frame, cotton fabric, faux leather backing, metal inserts, composed of 4 joined elem...
Cotton
$55,021 / set
H 31.5 in W 153.55 in D 141.74 in
Ennio Chiggio Environ Zero modular sofa for Nikol Internazionale - Italy 1970s
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in London, GB
This cocooning modular sofa was designed by Ennio Chiggio (1938–2020) for Nikol Internazionale in the 1970s. Its three segments combine for a wonderfully plump profile, enhanced by v...
Mohair
$3,177 / set
H 31.11 in W 22.05 in D 25.6 in
Italian midCentury leather steel chairs Vladimir Tatlin Nikol International 1950
By Vladimir Tatlin
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid century modern, brown leather and tubolar steel chairs by Vladimir Tatlin for Nikol International, from 1950s. Set of four iconic Tatlin chairs with armrests and chromed ...
Steel
$27,066 / set
H 25.6 in W 82.68 in D 31.5 in
Living room Sofa and two armchairs from the 1970s, designed by Ennio Chiggio Habitat IDS
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in Milano, IT
Elegant and sculptural seating set designed by Ennio Chiggio for haBITAT iDS, comprising a sofa and matching armchairs. The structure is crafted in molded polyurethane with lower ba...
Leather
$3,400 / set
H 39.38 in W 17.72 in D 19.3 in
Edoardo Landi "540" Dining Chairs for Nikol International, 1973, Set of 2
By Edoardo Landi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Edoardo Landi "540" dining chairs for Nikol International, wood and white fabric, Italy, 1973, set of two Edoardo Landi designed the “540” dining chair in 1973, at a time when Itali...
Fabric, Wood
$33,539
H 23.63 in W 90.56 in D 39.38 in L 23.63 in
Rare Environ Tre Sculptural Sofa by Edoardo Landi, Gruppo N, Nikol, Italy 1971
By Ennio Chiggio, Edoardo Landi
Located in Den Haag, NL
Rare Sculptural sofa by Edoardo Landi for Nikol Internazionale, Italy 1971 With this sofa you not only get comfort in your home, but also a great work of Art. The sofa creates a shell-like environment that cocoons the sitter. With your own imagination, the sofa can be set up in different ways. This sofa would look beautiful in a Mohair or bouclé Fabric Each sofa is 230 cm in length, 100cm width, the hight is 60cm, seat height 35cm. When setup like a corner 230cmx330cm Born in Modena in 1937, Italy, Landi studied architecture in Venice and attends the School of Industrial Design in Venice between 1962 and 1964. In 1959, he founds Group N with Alberto Biasi, Manfredo Massironi, Toni Costa and Ennio Chiggio. Landi’s work is based on the use of geometric shapes with programmed inclinations or separations, through which he manages changes in the viewer's perception. The artist develops retinal fatigue and optical illusions in some of his works, causing a closer relationship between the viewer and the work. In 1963, he participates with Grupo N at the IV Biennale Internazionale d'Arte di San Marino, where they receive their first prize. Since 1968, his works have been present in international exhibitions in Rome, Oslo, Tokyo, Budapest, Bologna, Paris, Milan and other cities. Since 1971 he has been interested in graphic design and the use of Industrial objects in interior design. Often this sofa is sold as an Ennio Chiggio sofa but is not from his hand, however the sofa was produced by Nikol wich Chiggio also designed for. They were also both a member of the art movement Gruppo N...
Fabric, Foam
$6,800 / set
H 39.38 in W 17.72 in D 19.3 in
Edoardo Landi "540" Dining Chairs for Nikol International, 1973, Set of 4
By Edoardo Landi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Edoardo Landi "540" dining chairs for Nikol International, wood and white fabric, Italy, 1973, set of four Edoardo Landi designed the “540” dining chair in 1973, at a time when Ital...
Fabric, Wood
1985 Rare Postmodern Side Chair by Denis Balland For Fermob France
By Fermob
Located in San Diego, CA
Whimsical folding chair rare hard to find, Lacquered steel frame with plastic rollers for folding, seat and back of lacquered wood slats. Designed by Denis Balland...
Metal