L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 6 Achille Castiglioni's Arco lamp (1962), a piece that made the history of Italian design NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 old and beloved Moka Bialetti and the fantastic Fiat 500, but what would our life be without the ubiquitous Siemens S62, the plastic rotary phone every home had up until 25 or 30 years ago and that, today, has become a c o l l e c t o r s ' i t e m ? A n d w h a t about Achille Castiglioni and his lampada da terra Arco (1962) or his poltrona Sanluca (1957), so innovative in their design to be themselves part of MoMA's col- l e c t i o n s ? A s a n i n c i s e , C a s - tiglioni had the honor to have the largest retrospective dedicat- ed to an Italian artist ever by the museum in 1997, when Paola Antonelli was its curator. All these objects, symbols themselves of Italy's creative intelligence, became a sort of "diffused" museum, a different p i e c e i n e v e r y c o r n e r o f t h e world, their linking thread being the country behind their very creation. Each embassy and con- sulate celebrated the day also t h r o u g h v a r i o u s i n i t i a t i v e s , from talks and seminars to com- petitions for young creators and designers: a great way to bring attention on one of the most important and iconic fields of the Made in Italy. Italian design well deserved t h i s w o r l d w i d e c e l e b r a t i o n : there is a piece of it in every home in the world, and its quali- ty and creative charm are known very much everywhere. But Ital- ian design is not unique and rel- evant internationally solely for its aesthetics, nor simply for its innovative afflatus. There is more behind it, a touch that is quintessentially Italian and that g o e s b a c k t o t h e t i m e s o f Leonardo's workshop (let's not forget Italy celebrates the 500th anniversary of his death this year) and to the savvy hands of v i o l i n m a k e r s a n d b y s s u s weavers. Behind every piece of Italian design, there is a creative mind steeped in the desire to make art; there a need to create that is typical of the artist, a necessity to share that comes with the emotion of giving to the world something that make life e a s i e r , n i c e r , p r e t t i e r . M o r e pragmatic, factual minds may consider this superfluous, or even useless, but to an Italian mind, this is essential: the Ital- ians need to know, to be certain that the creative act gives beau- ty and not only practicality, because the practical helps have an easier life, but the beautiful makes life, well… more beauti- ful. Italian Design Day should be read also in this optic: not only as a way to celebrate a product, its usefulness and its ability to c h a n g e a n d a m e l i o r a t e t h e future, but also as an hymn to I t a l i a n c r e a t i v i t y a n d t o t h e minds who, throughout the cen- turies, have never tired to create, renew, challenge and transcend w h a t a l r e a d y e x i s t e d , i n t h e attempt to make life simpler and more marvelous. Create, renew, challenge and transcend: the true mantra of the Italian creative, y e s t e r d a y a n d t o d a y . T h i s , L e o n a r d o m u s t h a v e h a d i n mind, all those centuries ago, when sketching his inventions on the empty pages of his now famous notebooks. This, must h a v e b e e n t h e r e f r a i n i n Michelangelo's head when carv- ing the Moses. And this, we are certain, is the leading line for all modern designers of the Bel- paese. To say it with former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the creativity, aesthetics and passions that go into Italian design are the "Italy that is with- in each and everyone of us:" we are all part of it and it is all part of our own identity. A bright red Lettera 22, by Olivetti. The color, the design, the style: it was pure innovation when it first appeared The Sanluca armchair, another of Castiglioni's creations. The designer was honored at the Moma in 1997, with the largest retrospective ever dedicated to an Italian artist

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