Alessandro Mendini

Alessandro Mendini (1931-2019) was one of the leading figures of the movement which, starting from the 1970s, led to a complete renewal of Italian design. Intellectual and refined, he directed the magazines Casabella, Modo and Domus, subjecting the world of Italian design to a severe critical analysis, opposing the dictates of a rigid functionalism and advocating a return to decoration. Noisy and colorful, his often self-produced and limited series works are closer to the world of art and constitute some of the peaks of the Radical Design movement. Guided by concepts such as "re-design", which reinterprets the creations of the past with a postmodern eye, and "banal design", which finds inspiration in everyday objects, has been the master of an entire generation of designers contest season. Since 1976 he has been one of the founders of the successful collective of Studio Alchimia, together with Alessandro Guerriero. It wasn't until the 1980s that he began to make series productions, conquered by enlightened entrepreneurs such as Aurelio Zanotta and Alberto Alessi. He has also worked, among others, with brands such as Cappellini, Venini, Kartell, Artemide, Magis, Swatch and Bisazza. Also appreciated architect, author of unforgettable projects such as the Groninger Museum in Groningen.