Gino Sarfatti (Venice, September 16, 1912 - Gravesend, March 6, 1985) was an Italian designer.
First born of three brothers, he was born from his father jew and Catholic mother, in a rich merchant class family. After classical studies, he attended the Naval Air Engineering University of Genoa.
In 1935 the family moved to Milan where, after selling an experience of art glass, operates both with its own small company with both the company Lumen: on his writing paper defines his work as a rational lighting.
He attended Franco Albini, Lucio Fontana, Lica and Albe Steiner. In February 1939 he founded Arteluce Limited Company A.L. with some members of the Milan-based company and became CEO. The company's business purpose luminaires, the lighting applications, furniture components as well as the study and the production of furniture.
From the start the lamps have not been named, but are identified by a number that is progressive in the category:
The nº 0 reflectors and special equipment from the wall, (much later will start from 50 mirrors with lights and lamps for bathroom furnishings)
Nº 100 from the wall luminaires,
Nº 500 from the board equipment,
Nº 1000 from the ground equipment (rods and torches)
Nº 2000, hanging lamps,
Nº 3000 from the ceiling.
In 1939 he rented the shop in Corso Littorio, then Corso Matteotti, which will remain until 1962.
After the first bombing of Milan, the family and the production activities are decentralized near Lecco, then, to escape racial persecution, he must flee to Switzerland, where he lives in a convent in Neggio, near Lugano. Arteluce, over the years of war, remains in effect, to the extent permitted by the period, entrusted to a prosecutor.
In 1946, on his return, he opened a small workshop in Via Cesena, in a converted apartment under his temporary residence and the adjacent space, covered by a roof and the asset is immediately significant: the first naval supply is of 1949. In the same 1949 enters the new factory, in via Bellinzona, 48, acquired with the wife's family funds and that will only company in the production site.
In 1950 he founded in Rome, with a brother of his wife, the company ArCon - Contemporary Furniture, which sells brands in furnishing excellence and immediately successful, even printing, when sin will not sell its stake to family needs.
In 1962 the property asks him to leave the store on Corso Matteotti, 12, for their own commercial needs and therefore opens up a large new store in Via della Spiga, 23, with project architect. Vittoriano Viganò.
In parallel and then restructures sopraeleva in part the plant in Via Bellinzona, 48 which, in 1968, reaches its maximum size, a little less than 800 m², and its maximum capacity of approximately 35 employees.
He won many international awards, among them, in 1954 and in 1955 the Golden Compass, with models 559 and 1055.
In December of 1973, when he won the gold medal of the XV Triennale, sold the company, no longer operative today. Since 1974 he retired to live in Griante Cadenabbia (CO) where he received visits by scholars: the last meeting a few days before his death in preparation for the great exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou lumières je pense à vous; the guest is Jean François Grunfeld, who writes as of the greatest creator of the twentieth century lamps. During the interview and in subsequent correspondence Gino Sarfatti retraces the entire span of its activities.
He died March 6, 1985, suffering a brain stroke.
