Malabar ¹⁹⁸²

Ettore Sottsass was inspired by things mystical, whence the name of the group Memphis, that he founded in 1981 that alluded to the old Egyptian town. He also travelled a lot to India and the ritual objects, the temples, as well as the wild colour combinations provided direct inspiration for the design of his Totems and the Malabar room divider.

An animated object vibrates as it were, and expands, so that it resonates in the soul of the viewer. Moreover the level of energy in objects defines the degree of intimacy for example of a living room where these types of objects are gathered ( ... ) Entering them is like entering a temple. The intimacy and proximity of the unnameable is palpable due to the invisible vibrations that compose a melody between the different objects of everyday life that is sometimes harmonic, sometimes dramatic.

^{A wild thing, p. 140}