Bonnie Mackay and Senior Curator Paola Antonelli, from MoMA’s department of Architecture & Design, discovered the work of Italian designer Carlo Contin at the 1999 Salone del Mobile. Contin had established his own design studio only the year before.
Bonnie was particularly impressed with his Satellite Bowl, a truly original bowl design based on a circle of wooden spokes, pinned together, which twist open to form a simple, dramatic open bowl shape. Contin produced the first order for MoMA in his garage. The Satellite Bowl has been produced in multiple sizes and colors over the years and is a signature product of the MoMA Stores and MoMA’s Wholesale line.