The seminar was presented in collaboration with Co.As.It., who hosted it at their Carlton headquarters, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Melbourne.
It was a celebration of the exhibition Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design, which is on display at the Heide Museum until March 23.
As highlighted by Chiara Mauri, the Consul General of Italy in Melbourne who spoke at the seminar, the day served as an opportunity to remember Italy’s extraordinary contribution to the world of contemporary design.
“This occasion serves to remind us of the fundamental role design plays in shaping our lives and our future,” she said.
“This year’s theme is Inequalities: Design for a Better Life, an invitation to reflect on how design can bridge gaps in society and help create a more fair, inclusive and sustainable world.”
Design, therefore, can be a vehicle for positive change “capable of shaping a future where inequalities can be overcome and where everyone can enjoy a better quality of life”.
The Heide Museum exhibition, which showcases iconic pieces of Italian design from the 1930s to the 1980s, was also made possible thanks to the contribution of Webuild, the Italian multinational operating in over 50 countries, including Australia, and which invests in initiatives related to Italian culture and art.
Marco Assorati, executive director of Webuild, highlighted the company’s gratitude “to be able to contribute to a cultural event that we hope will inspire future generations of innovators and designers … [that] also aims to strengthen our connection with the community.”
After institutional greetings by Ferdinando Colarossi, director of the Italian Language Department at Co.As.It., the day continued with an introduction by moderator Flavia Marcello, a professor at the School of Design and Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology, and presentations by the curators of the Molto Bello exhibition at the Heide Museum, Kendrah Morgan and Laura Lantieri.
Anna Caione, a professor at Swinburne University, explained more about the success behind Italian design company Olivetti, while Jeromie Maver and Dean Keep discussed how Italian design impacted and influenced Australian design in the mid-20th century.
The microphone was then handed over to Eli Giannini, principal architect at MGS Architects, who recalled his years of study at the Domus Winter School, which is part of the RMIT School of Design.
During those formative years, Giannini had the extraordinary opportunity to meet and learn from some of the greatest names in Italian architecture, such as Clino Trini Castelli, Michele De Lucchi, Ezio Manzini, Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanini and Anna Castelli Ferrieri, the first woman in Italy to engage in industrial design and the mind behind Kartell, one of Italy’s most innovative brands.
The final speaker before the roundtable discussion was Mauro Baracco, director of the Baracco+Wright architecture firm that designed the pavilion representing Australia at the Venice Biennale in 2018 and which will be present at the Milan Triennale this year.
