The Design Museum: Enzo Mari

Informational

Pedro Falcone

April 9, 2024

The Nature Series. No. 1: La Mela (The Apple) with Elio Mari, screen print. Photo Danese Milano

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The Design Museurms Enzo Mari exhibition, taking place from March to September, honors the life and contributions of Enzo Mari, one of the most influential Italian designers of the 20th century, whose creations have influenced many artists worldwide.

One of the most recognizable names in Italian design was Enzo Mari. He attended the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan in 1952 after being born in Cerano, in the province of Novara, in 1932. His involvement in avant-garde design movements, such as the Arte Cinetica group and the Nuova Tendenza group, where he first met Bruno Munari, marked the beginning of his lengthy career. He organized the show at the 1965 Zagreb Biennale for Nuova Tendenza, which he joined in 1963. His creative and nonconformist artistic and philosophical approach, which emphasizes the social and educational dimensions of design, is what makes his work stand out. This approach also prompted him to create a robust cross-design initiative in the fields of aesthetic research and education. He is regarded as one of the most significant design theorists in the world today because of his numerous publications.

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La Mela e La Farfalla, printing draft, 1958/1969. E. Mari Archive. Photo Gianluca Di loia © Triennale Milano

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Mari placed a great deal of importance on affordability. His constant goal was to create design items that will connect with their customers on a personal level and be lovely, functional, affordable, and intuitive. Mari would work closely with manufacturers and craftspeople throughout the design process to make sure his goals of cost, quality, and utility were fulfilled. Despite his exacting standards, Mari developed a solid working relationship with several of the era's furniture makers and design stores, including Artemide, Alessi, Zanotta, Driade, and Muji.

Over his career, Mari produced a great deal of furniture designs and projects. Among them are the Compasso d'Oro-winning Robots chair (1974); the Sumatra filing system (1976); the Tonietta chair (1985) for Zanotta, winner of the 1987 Compasso d'Oro; the Legato table (20o1) for Dirate, winner of the Compasso d'Oro that same year; and the Elisa and Box chairs (1971) and Sof Sof chair (1972) for Driade.

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Peter Marlow. ITALY. Milan. Icons of Design. Portraits of Italian Designer Icons during the Milan Furniture Fair. Commissioned by Wallpaper Magazine. ITALY. Milan. Enzo MARI. 2006.

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This exhibition, which will be held at the Design Museum in London, is the brainchild of Swiss art critic, historian, and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. He is the artistic director of the Serpentine Galleries in London, alongside Francesca Giacomelli. Without a doubt, this exhibition will be a unique experience. Not just a designer, Mari was also an artist, teacher, theorist, and more. The exhibition encompasses Mari's six-decade career, uniting a myriad of his endeavors, including furniture, children's books, games, product and graphic design, as well as conceptual installation-based works.

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Sof-Sof Chair. Chromed iron and fabric, Design date: 1971. Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.), JSTOR

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