Editor's Note
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design
Mutina: Authorial Ceramics with Urquiola and the Legal Protection of Creativity
Mater by Patricia Urquiola (Photo: Claudia Zalla)
by Emily Capozucca
25 apr 2026
Between creativity and the global market, the weight of protecting intangible assets is growing. The experience of Mutina with Patricia Urquiola: protecting design means adopting an integrated approach.
This is a far from theoretical issue, intertwined with the trajectories of some of the most interesting players in the contemporary landscape. Among them is Mutina, a company that over the past twenty years has helped redefine the language of ceramics, and its collaboration with Patricia Urquiola, one of the most authoritative voices in international design.
The Journey
Mutina was born with the goal of bringing ceramic surfaces back to the center of the project. "We took over the company in 2005. The idea was to bring design into the world of ceramic surfaces, which at the time was a somewhat abandoned language," recounted Massimo Orsini, CEO of Mutina. "I had great admiration for Patricia, and when I asked her to collaborate, she accepted with enthusiasm."
At the time, the company was little more than a startup, with a turnover of around two million euros. The entry of Urquiola, called upon to imprint a new, more experimental and cultural direction, gave the company new life. "For me, the starting point was never important, but the journey. Design is made of journeys, and to truly understand an object, you need to know where it comes from: who made it, with whom, in what context," said Urquiola. "I came from a more three-dimensional design. There was a prejudice against ceramics, because it was two-dimensional, more limited. But in reality, it has become one of the fields where, in my opinion, the most research has been done in recent years."
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What Mutina Does
Mutina defines itself as a "publisher." It does not directly manufacture materials but develops collections together with international designers, maintaining strong design freedom. "It is a choice that has allowed us to avoid the rigid constraints of industry and give space to creativity," said Orsini, where value arises from the dialogue between the company and the designer. Today, the company has exceeded 30 million euros in turnover and employs over a hundred people, but the growth—Urquiola emphasizes—was a consequence, not a goal. "First comes sensitivity, vision. The numbers must follow."
In an increasingly competitive global market, dominated by large volumes and new international players, the company has chosen to occupy a different space, closer to research. "It is not a niche," Urquiola clarified, "but a space made of art, dialogues, and cross-pollination."
The Intangible Dimension
The Global Platform of Salone del Mobile
Not coincidentally, this reflection takes place in the context of Salone del Mobile, which over the years has transformed into a global platform capable of attracting over a million visitors and connecting different worlds, from fashion to technology. An ecosystem where visibility is maximum, but where it becomes increasingly necessary to protect what is not seen, the intangible. "Today, the challenge is also to protect digital design: CAD files, animations, virtual creations. The law is evolving to keep pace. But to truly protect an object, you must know its story. The better you can tell it, the stronger the protection," Bandera continued.
"The ceramics market is one of the largest in the world. Today, 14 billion square meters are produced annually. China dominates now. Italy is no longer in first place as it was twenty years ago, but in tenth. However, we are not aiming for volumes." Among future goals: "Next year we celebrate 20 years. We are preparing something important," the CEO anticipated. As for collaborations, "the idea remains to work with people we like," added Urquiola. "It sounds simple, but it's fundamental."
25 apr 2026
Source: Read the original article | Published: April 25, 2026