Bruno Munari

Bruno Munari (1907-1998) was not only a figure of capital importance in the history of Italian design, but he can rightly be defined as one of the central personalities of Italian culture of the twentieth century. A century that he has gone through entirely, ranging from the most diverse disciplines, since the beginning in the 1920s as a leading painter of the Milanese Futurist scene. Instead, his famous Macchine Inutili, very light suspended sculptures, and the growing interest in advertising graphics and photography date back to the 1930s. In the postwar period, together with Gillo Dorfles, Gianni Monnet and Atanasio Soldati, he is one of the founders of the MAC (Movimento Arte Concreta) which revolutionized the canons of abstractionism in the arts, and also intensifies his collaborations with large companies in the field of communication and advertising, giving life to memorable collaborations with brands such as Olivetti, Campari and IBM. His contribution to the world of editorial graphics is particularly significant, both through the care of the image of entire series for Einaudi and with his well-known covers (very famous for Domus magazine). He is also a prolific author of books, often intended for children: the themes of pedagogy and play is always central in his entire production, also pushing him to numerous experiments towards toy design. In addition to his theoretical reflections, the fruits of his long collaboration with the Danese Milano brand (later acquired by Artemide) play a great role in the history of design. Some of his famous creations have also been re-edited by Porro, Zanotta and Rexite. He has been awarded the Compasso d'Oro three times (1954, 1955, 1979).