a key factor , especially when it comes to the transition between day and night . Despite the many difficulties , our museum has chosen to allow natural light to permeate the room , along with the view towards and from the city . A technically challenging choice , yet a declaration of belonging to the flow of life ; thus , not some impenetrable and perhaps rhetorical place , but a place of life .
What does the layout of the historical collection intend to communicate to the public , including non-experts ? We want to tell people why an object deserves to be in a museum . We do not limit ourselves to its self-referential celebration , but propose a dialogue with the visitor , who through a comprehensive supporting material can experience and understand the meaning of Italian design .
As president of ADI - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale , what are the main objectives of the museum in the post-global pandemic era ? Beyond the innovative communication tools that the pandemic emergency has somehow forced upon us , the main objective is still to be part of the contemporary world and of the major issues affecting our society and planet . To build a better world through sustainable and responsible development is still our mission .
When is design sustainable and how does it respond to the environmental emergency ? For the first time , the Compasso d ’ Oro Award has a theme : development - sustainable - responsible . These are issues that can hardly be resolved with simple recipes ; issues that involve everyone with a non-rhetorical responsibility and that must therefore be tackled without rhetoric or ideological fences : political correctness often pushes us towards short-range solutions , while our job is precisely to offer the widest possible reflection .
Crafts and industry : are the human and digital dimensions converging in contemporary design ? How , when and where ? The boundary between craftsmanship and industry is no longer as marked as it once was ; standardisation and customisation are now as much a part of industrial practice as they are of craftsmanship . The opening of the museum was an opportunity to underline this , exploring the work of Renata Bonfanti who , starting from the most conventional textile tradition , finds her way into industrial serial production to create extraordinary products .
In your opinion , which table and floor lamps have radically changed the perception of public and private space ? “ This is the catalogue ”, as Mozart would say . Quite difficult to make a selection , but to put it in a nutshell I would say Arco for floor lamps and Tolomeo for table lamps .
How does the ADI Design Museum dialogue with the Museum of Italian Design of the Triennale di Milano at Palazzo dell ’ Arte , an Italian institution that has been dealing with design , architecture and contemporary culture since 1923 ? It is an active and mutual dialogue . Together with the Fondazione Musei d ’ Impresa ( the Corporate Museum Foundation , ed .), we have set up an association specifically to establish a dialogue that is both operational and cultural .
What role does technology play in contemporary design ? How is it handling the environmental and digital transition ? Design gives technology a horizon of meaning ; without design , technology would remain mute . As a broad conceptual practice capable of multidisciplinary dialogue , design is a discipline that can fully grasp the complexity of contemporary life , offering us a shared and understandable synthesis .
How does the museum interact with the digital generation ? Do you foresee any development of shared networked projects or else ? The museum combines the analogue fruition of the material with an extensive multimedia App that will allow , we hope , the creation of a real community of interest , rather than just a spectacular visit .
In the Anthropocene age , the bond between man and environment is compromised . How can design mend the relationship between technology and nature ? By shifting from a purely anthropocentric vision to one where man is part of a system in which his own reasons and priorities are of equal value to all others .
How do you approach the issue of waste and recycling in the circular economy ? Are the set-ups of the various exhibitions recycled once the event is over or are they destroyed ? Italian design has , since long ago , introduced a focus on frugality , understood as a virtuous act and not simply as a speculative practice .
The Compasso d ’ Oro award , from its very first editions , has borne witness to this sensitivity , which over time has become increasingly acknowledged by the general public . We have always favoured recycled materials for our touring exhibitions , and even more so for our museum exhibitions , using them as part of a circular economy .
What challenges have you set for yourself in order to promote the ADI Design Museum at an international level ? Could they be useful for Milan too ? The Museum acts as a platform capable of enhancing both the Italian panorama abroad and the foreign one in Italy . A solid dialogue , achieved through physical and digital exchanges .
In your opinion , what is design in the digital age ? And when is it narrative and poetic ? I would say that the profound sense of doing design remains unaltered , with its crosscutting and vertical practices and methodological paths ; it remains a solid technical discipline capable of a narrative that other technical disciplines do not have . Emotion and reason are an integral part of our being ; poetry and its narration are essential for achieving a synthesis capable of building a meaningful vision and not just products to sell .
Have you ever thought about including in the Museum works of Light Art , a creative expression of a design that embraces the convergence of technology and art in relation to the context ? What do you think about it ? The museum represents the thirteen categories of the Compasso d ’ Oro award , including lighting . Serial reproducibility , whether small or large , is the basic condition of evaluation .
How do you see the ADI Design Museum in 2030 ? Never stop !
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