Franco Mazzucchelli designs inflatable bottle sculptures for Portofino Dry Gin

Portofino Dry Gin, founded by Ruggero Raymo, Alessandro Briola, and Chris Egger, has launched its first collaboration with artist Franco Mazzucchelli (Milan, 1939). Mazzucchelli created 21 inflatable PVC sculptures shaped like sea buoys, each containing three gin bottles designed to echo Portofino's colorful houses. The works belong to his long-running series A.TO A. (art to abandon), which began with inflatables left in lakes, deserts, and public spaces across Italy. The collaboration explores the concept of Portofino's waterfront and the artist's childhood memories. Raymo, whose family has deep roots in Portofino—his grandfather Klaus saved the village during WWII and later hosted Dolce Vita parties—emphasizes the synergy between the gin brand and contemporary art: passion, creativity, vision, and a touch of madness. The 21 sculptures correspond to the 21 botanicals in the gin recipe, each representing a journey to Portofino. The gin's packaging, resembling vintage perfume bottles, reproduces the iconic buildings of Portofino's piazzetta. Mazzucchelli has been a regular in Portofino since the 1950s.