An Italy that designs, remembers and innovates; this was the message that emerged from the ninth edition of Italian Design Day, celebrated at the Italian Cultural Institute in Sydney with the conference Beyond Form: Voices, Visions and Innovations in Italian Design.
The conference was complemented by the photography exhibition entitled Fotografia alla Carriera (Career photography).
The event, promoted by the Italian Embassy in Canberra, the Consulate General of Italy in Sydney, the Italian Cultural Institute and other entities such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Trade Agency.
The event featured three prominent figures in the architectural and academic landscape; architect Alfonso Femia, Professor Luciano Cardellicchio and Professor Melonie Bayl-Smith, both from The University of New South Wales.
At the heart of the discussion was the idea of Italian design as a living language, capable of uniting aesthetics, functionality and diversity, tying back to this year’s Design Day theme: Diseguaglianze (Inequality).
“Through design practices, urban transformation and new technologies, design asserts itself as a cultural and social act,” emphasised the speakers, highlighting the uniqueness of Italian design as something that constantly balances memory and innovation.
Fotografia alla Carriera was a tribute of Italian photography to the winners of the design award known as the Compasso d’Oro and was also dedicated to those who’ve spent their career within the ADI Design Museum.
The exhibition celebrates the faces and hands that have shaped the identity of Made in Italy.
For those who wish to immerse themselves in this collection of visions, materials and stories, the exhibition will be open to the public free of charge until May 12 at the Institute’s headquarters (125 York Street, Sydney).
