The Italian Cultural Institute in Amsterdam organised a round of six panels on the “History of Italian Design from the Post-War Years to Today”. The initiative is part of the 16th Italian Language Week in the World, whose theme this year is fashion and design. Marco Nember, founder and director of Fondazione Blue439, conducted the course. Mr Nember graduated in Industrial Design from the Milan Polytechnic and moved to Amsterdam in 2009 where he contributed to promote contemporary art in partnership with several organisations: the Italian Cultural Institute in Amsterdam, the Goethe Institut Niederlande, Kunsthuis SYB, Kunstvereining, Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond, De Appel Arts Centre and the Museum Beelden aan Zee.
The course’s programme will begin with an introductory lesson on the definition of industrial design, the historical background and the situation in Italy, from its unification to the post-WWII period. The class scheduled for Oct. 5 will focus on the conversion of the arms industry and the U.S. influence, in addition to an outline of the economic boom: “Il Bel Design“. On Oct. 19, the spotlight will be on the ‘60s, architects and designers, from the boom years to the 1969 “Autunno Caldo”. On Nov. 9 it will be the ‘70s taking centre stage, and the theme will be design caught between elaboration and protests and radical design and productivity. The ‘80s, the postmodern movement and a wealth of expressions, pluralisms and “Made in Italy” products will be discussed on Nov. 23. Finally, the ‘90s will be at the heart of the class scheduled for Dec. 7, when the discussion will focus on the ‘90s, the internationalization of Italian design, the global success of furniture fairs and the “Overlap between Design and Fashion”.
