"la mama" armchair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia

In the early 1960s, the chemist Bayer developed a polyurethane foam based on a new resin, allowing for the simple creation of various shapes. By the middle of the decade, the Italian design publisher C&B seized upon and invested in the possibilities offered by this development. The company then invited Gaetano Pesce, interested in new technologies and their potential, to experiment with this material: he developed the "Serie UP". Through this object, the designer symbolically expresses his vision of women. With the round pouf, the second element of the armchair, the creator clarifies that he wanted to give this armchair a feminine shape with a ball at the foot. He aims to denounce the condition of women through a metaphor. When presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1969, the object caused a scandal. The first edition of the Mamma had no supporting structure and consisted of a single block, simplifying the transport of the seat. Its volume was reduced by compressing it under vacuum in a hermetic package. Once placed in the desired location, the buyer would remove the packaging from the seat, allowing it to gently inflate and regain its original shape and size, thanks to the air entering the cells of the polyurethane foam. Originally published by C&B, it was removed from the catalogue in 1973 due to the presence of Freon gas. It reappeared in 2000, made from Bayfit and marketed by B&B Italia, and the Mamma is still available today. Reupholstered armchair, interior made of polyurethane foam consisting of two monoblock parts.