Marius & Marius Armchairs and Pouf by Mario Marenco for Arflex, 1970s, Set of 3

Set of 2 Marius & Marius armchairs and poufs designed by Mario Marenco for Arflex in the 70s.
Painted metal structure, wooden base, foam rubber cushions, cotton covering and plastic feet.
Excellent condition, new soft cotton lining.

Armchair measurements: 104 cm x 90 cm H 61 cm – H seat 37 cm
pouf: 64 cm x 64 cm H 37 cm

Mario Marenco (Foggia, 9 September 1933 – Rome, 17 March 2019) was an Italian comedian, humorist, actor, television author, as well as architect and designer. He graduated in architecture in 1957, in Naples, later obtaining research grants in Stockholm and Chicago. In 1960 he opened his own architecture and design atelier: Studio DEGW, based in Rome. His activity in these sectors, which he always carried forward together with his artistic career, is demonstrated by projects developed for well-known industries: the aluminum chandelier with references to Op art Cynthia, distributed in 1960 by Artemide, the Marius & Marius sofa of 1970, designed for Arflex according to modular concepts, in 1984 the Movie armchair, Marenco also collaborated with the most important Italian car manufacturers for the creation of their exhibition stands.

ARFELX:

In 1947 Carlo Barassi, a Pirelli engineer together with Renato Teani, from the Pirelli financial sector, Pio Reggiani and Aldo Bai, founded the company Ar-flex (‘flexible furnishings’) later arflex, who together with a young architect Marco Zanuso, they began to experiment with the use of foam and elastic ribbons for furnishings.
In the history and life of a company there are events and moments of special significance, which constitute titles of merit recognized by all. The first memorable facts about arflex coincide with its birth, in a small factory in Corso di Porta Vittoria in Milan. The first organizational production and sales unit was established there, but the first meeting with the public took place on the occasion of the IX Triennale di Milano in 1951, after two years of experiments. It is precisely this first emergence into the limelight in a strictly cultural avant-garde field that must be kept in mind when covering the history of the company, because this experimental interest, if not separated from commercial purposes, reveals the desire to create products of high technological and aesthetic, based on in-depth research and experimentation. The Gold Medal of the IX Triennale, awarded to the Lady armchair, rewarded first and foremost this aspect of Arflex production.