Final month, the 63rd version of Salone del Cellular, colloquially generally known as Milan Design Week, crammed the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition heart with works from the world’s finest design homes. Names like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, and Hermès have been amongst these represented, because the occasion showcased every thing from furnishings to traditional, up to date, and conceptual product design.
One notably curious set up featured a Royal Enfield Flying Flea electrical bike, remodeled right into a bona fide two-wheeled sculpture by Los Angeles–based mostly multidisciplinary artist Mattia Biagi.
The customized scene consistently flirts with the idea of bikes as artistic endeavors. However this challenge took a no-holds-barred method to that concept, with Mattia treating the pint-sized Flying Flea FF.C6 as a literal canvas.
In case you’re not accustomed to Flying Flea, it’s Royal Enfield’s all-electric sub-brand. The FF.C6 is its debut mannequin, impressed by the World Battle II-era Royal Enfield Flying Flea, which was air-dropped alongside paratroopers. It combines classic styling—like a solid aluminum girder-style fork—with trendy parts like an electrical drivetrain and LED lighting.
This specific Flying Flea FF.C6 retains its chassis, drivetrain, and working gear. Nevertheless it’s wearing a smorgasbord of fascinating handmade items, straight out of Mattia’s creativeness.
Initially from Ravenna, Italy, Mattia reduce his tooth in trend homes like Jean Paul Gaultier, Armani, and Valentino, earlier than coming below the mentorship of the famend inside and furnishings designer Giulio Cappellini. His work—which incorporates inside design, furnishings, sculpture, portray, and extra—is very wanted. (Oh, and he’s a motorcyclist too.)
Mattia’s imaginative and prescient for the Flying Flea concerned sculpting elements out of quite a lot of pure supplies which are vital to him. Enamored with the bike’s solid aluminum body, he carved a brand new fake gasoline tank out of travertine to embed in it. Travertine is a sort of limestone that Mattia’s been fascinated with since his childhood, most notably used within the development of the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
The design mimics the contours of a parachute (a nod to the Flying Flea’s lineage), whereas the fabric’s imperfect open-pore texture creates an natural vibe. In the back of the ‘tank,’ set in opposition to the flowing fins of the Flying Flea’s magnesium battery case, are a pair of black stone aspect covers.
Ceramics have been additionally a giant a part of Mattia’s tradition rising up, so he felt compelled to introduce them into his challenge. A pair of handmade clay items adorn the girder fork legs, with an identical belt guard fitted on the again. Using playful varieties and conventional glazed finishes, these things add a splash of shade to the in any other case autumnal construct.
For the entrance and rear fenders, Mattia drew inspiration from the ‘Miss Blanche’ chair, created by the enduring Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata. Leaves have been solid in clear resin to represent life, development, and renewal. The entrance unit is connected to the forks, whereas the rear flows from the again of a hand-carved walnut seat.
With a selected design in thoughts for the headlight, Mattia traveled to Murano in Italy, famed for its glassmaking. There, he labored with an skilled glass-blower to create the sunshine’s mind-blowing new lens. The taillight is one other historically made glass piece.
Yet one more materials was used within the Flying Flea’s development—brass. Mattia created a pair of brass grips utilizing molds of his fingers, together with a pair of complementary brass foot pegs.
Dubbed ‘Motototem,’ Mattia’s Flying Flea paintings broke cowl at Salone del Cellular with the help of Royal Enfield’s Customized World program. Very like the bikes that RE Customized World commissions, it’ll now do the rounds at numerous occasions—though you’re in all probability extra prone to see it at an artwork exhibition than a motorbike present.
As for us, that is one bike we’d fortunately park in our front room as a substitute of our storage. Bravo, Mattia.
Supply: Flying Flea
