The origins of Italian design? They are to be found in the many one off pieces, hand crafted prototypes or limited numbers made on commission during the thirties and forties. Still a long way off from industrial production these pieces are however the forerunners of mass production. They were designed by leading architects of the time Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Luigi Vietti, Giuseppe Terragni and Giuseppe Pagano for clients from the upper middle classes.

An interesting look into the archaeology of design, on show at the Triennale in Milan, has been put together by Silvana Annicchiarico, curator of the permanent collection of design, together with Giuseppe Raboni and Marco Zanuso Jr. An initiative which makes up part of the educational programme which exploits the collection put together in 1997 and which since 1999 has been proposing a series of interesting exhibitions that offer new ways of looking at the history of Italian product design.

This time it goes one step further with the intention of identifying and purchasing new objects to enrich the existing collection – presently made up of 600 pieces kept in 2000 metres of archive space adjacent to the Faculty of Industrial Design at the Politecnico in Milan. The collection can be viewed by appointment (in via Durando 38, F +39-0289010693, E-mail: collezione.design@triennale.it) whilst a ‘taster’ and information on the various initiatives can be found on internet.

until 13.7.2003
Fuoriserie. Pezzi unici, prototipi e prodotti su commissione dell’archeologia del design italiano
Triennale di Milano
Viale Alemagna 6, Milano
https://www.triennale.it