New MoMA Product: An Interview with Designer-Alum Giancarlo Cipri
“I am never not designing,” says Giancarlo Cipri—and the MoMA Design Store has taken notice.
Cipri graduated from MFA Products of Design in May 2022, where he worked to develop his Perpetual Sliding Calendar. You can now get your very own calendar at the MoMA Design Store’s physical location (81 Spring Street, New York) as well as on their website, to elegantly, playfully, and perpetually keep track of time.
When asked what it feels like to have his product in the MoMA store and catalog, Cipri says, “It’s a feeling like no other.” In fact, he’s been dreaming about this for years—as a kid growing up in New York, he visited the MoMA Design Store at least once a month with his parents. The tradition has persisted; every trip to SoHo must, without question, include a stop to browse the latest displays.
Landing a design in the MoMA Design Store is a huge win for anyone, but Cipri says this is only the beginning. His main goal from here? To continue producing work that reaches not only the Design Store shelves, but also the MoMA Museum walls.
Read more from our Q&A with Giancarlo below. (Note that this interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Cipri also made a 42-inch version of the calendar, which he’s aiming to get in the MoMA Design Store to accompany the product.
Where did the idea for the calendar first come from?
I began the design for MoMA by paying attention to my personal experiences with the MoMA and MoMA Design Store. I grew up at the MoMA, and in return, the MoMA Design Store — either on monthly trips to the museum, with my parents, or afterschool walks to the store in Soho, with my friends. From a young age, these experiences were fruitful in my understanding of what the MoMA stands for, what the Design Store sells, and what I gravitate toward.
From there I honed in on product categories which intrigued me, historically, and looking at "space age" designs for calendars — like the Euroway "Ring a Date" — cemented my choice to design a calendar.
After making the decision, I spent hours conceptualizing what makes a good calendar and focused on making it: fun (use), evergreen (aesthetic) and versatile (audience).
Was it inspired by anything in particular?
In terms of inspiration — I would not say one thing in specific but a cumulation of various things: furniture, games, graphic design, early plastic goods, teaching tools, and New Year's Eve.
What was your process in creating and iterating on the concept?
When iterating, my process was mostly that of verbal communication, between myself and my dad.
Designing for the MoMA is a huge deal for me and I wanted to "knock it out of the park." Altogether I made about 10 "finished" quality models — in different sizes, shapes, colors and materials.
I even have some amazing, unseen ones that I'd love to showcase and hopefully produce in the near future.
Lastly, I also made a large, 42 inch, version of the calendar that I'm trying to get in the store. I think it would be a full circle moment, giving children in the store (like I once was) the ability to play with something available to purchase (at a smaller scale) while paying homage to the greats, like Gaetano Pesce, who have made large counterparts to smaller works available.
Has this product spurred any further ideas or inspiration?
Yes, I am never not designing.
Personally, I do work under the ambient name "Push and Pull" — this collaboration with the MoMA has opened my eyes and led to various products, garments and pieces of furniture in my current runway.
