16.01.26
FANTY BUILDING: WHEN INTIMACY MEETS ARCHITECTURE
posted by Fanty Building
In the contemporary art scene, few figures manage to merge the structural weight of architecture with the delicate transparency of silk like Enrico Thanhoffer, better known by his creative brand Fanty Building. As the pioneer of the Globism movement, Thanhoffer has evolved a provocative aesthetic into a profound philosophy, now manifesting in our homes through a collection of chandeliers that challenge every traditional design boundary.
The Curve of Globism: Rejecting the Right Angle
At the heart of the Fanty Building universe lies a systematic rejection of rigid, cold rationalism. Globism is more than an artistic trend; it is a manifesto celebrating the curve and the sphere as the only forms capable of truly sheltering the human spirit without constriction. While his urban installations often "dress" ancient monuments to highlight their vulnerability, Thanhoffer’s interior design work seeks to illuminate the very essence of human existence.
"Mutanda Buildings": The Architecture of the First Home
The artist's most famous and irreverent concept, the Mutanda Building (Underwear Building), finds its domestic peak in a series of sculptural light fixtures. For Thanhoffer, underwear represents the "first architecture" a human ever wears—a protective membrane that separates our most private selves from the outside world.
The Fanty Building chandeliers act as luminous portraits of this intimacy:
Textural Diversity: From blue silk and black lace to ethnic macramé and vibrant fringe, each piece creates a unique atmosphere ranging from Baroque elegance to Modernist provocation.
The Inner Glow: The light does not strike the object from the outside; it emanates from within the garment, transforming the fabric into a vibrant skin that casts soft, organic shadows.
Humanizing the Space: These objects break the sterile silence of minimalist interiors, injecting a sense of "imperfect humanity" and warmth into the domestic sphere.
A Global Alarm for Beauty
As explored in his latest publication, "Mutanda Buildings" (Studio Byblos, 2025), Thanhoffer’s work serves as a "General Alarm". It is a call to rediscover care for our shared heritage, whether it is a global icon like the Colosseum or the most private corner of our bedroom.
To choose a piece from Fanty Building is to embrace a vision where art is no longer a distant object to be observed, but a playful and conscious companion that illuminates our daily lives with both irony and philosophical depth.
