S.A.L.I.R. - Studio Ars Labor Industrie Riunite

Founded in 1923 by Giuseppe D'Alpaos , Decio Toso and Guglielmo Barbini . Its specialities were glass engraving, sandblasting, enamel and engraving application of gold leaf.

In 1927 the firm began cooperating with Balsamo Stella and Franz Pelzel who, after a two years stay in Florence, opened their own laboratory at the Giudecca. While the former joined for just a few years for the firm, the latter stayed on right up to his retirement in 1968.

At first, the artistical influence exerted on Balsamo Stella by his long stay both in Northern Europe and in Bohemia were very strong felt: indeed, that is where he first met Pelzel. He exhibited his last creations for the S.A.L.I.R. company at he 1930 Biennale where he presented glassware with decorations that go back to classical themes but with a modern touch, or else vases, bowls, with sports, aviation, jazz, as its subjects.

The direction he gave to production was so strong that in the following years the draftsmen that came after him continued to produce similar models, so much so that precise attribution is sometimes difficult. But after overcoming the first reluctant opinions of reviewers, the objects made by S.A.L.I.R. met very soon a huge success and were often mentioned as examples in the pages of "Domus" and "Casabella".

Gio ponti himelf always had words of praise for the works designed by Guido Balsamo Stella and on his death in 1941 he dedicated to him a commemorative article.

After Balsamo Stella's death, S.A.L.I.R. worked a lot with Vittorio Zecchin as regards engraved or enamel-decorated glassware, with Gio Ponti , Ugo Blasi, Piero Fornasetti . About Fornasetti, there were two remarkable vases published in "Domus", one engraved with a golden shell motif, the other with enamels and decoration of hands and butterflies, that anticipate the artist's future production lines, and the series of vases reproducing the plans of the most famous Palladian architecture and decorations.

After the war, the firm went on employing various artists, among them Riccardo Licata , Serena Dal Maschio , Vinicio Vianello , Ettore Sottsass . S.A.L.I.R. took part in the most important exhibitions in Italy and abroad and everywhere it received the highest accolades.

The firm is currently in business, directed by Gigi Toso and Mario D'Alpaos .

salir

https://www.salir.it/