1969. Olivetti formes et recherche, una mostra internazionale

CAMERA – Centro Italiano per la Fotografia and the Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti (Olivetti Historical Archive Association) present the exhibition, 1969. Olivetti formes et recherche, una mostra internazionale, a selection of photographs from the exhibition of the same name that Olivetti put together in November 1969 in Paris, and which went on to Barcelona, Madrid, Edinburgh and London, and finally ended in Tokyo in October 1971.

Fifty years on from its first appearance, the current exhibition (curated by Barbara Bergaglio, Marcella Turchetti and Giangavino Pazzola) is open to the public in the Project Room of CAMERA from 6 December 2018 to 24 February 2019. It reconstructs and brings back not only the contents of that historic exhibition (curated by architect Gae Aulenti), but also the story of the characters who gravitated to and around the Olivetti company and its culture: from Giorgio Soavi to Lord Snowdon, from Ettore Sottsass to Mario Bellini, from Renzo Zorzi to Italo Calvino.

Over 70 photographs from the Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti provide the opportunity to tell the story of the by-now legendary exhibition at its various stages, through photographs by great masters: from Ugo Mulas for the Paris edition, to Alberto Fioravanti and Giorgio Colombo for Madrid and Barcelona, to Tim Street-Porter in London. Further documents help to tell a richer story alongside the images: a film directed by Philippe Charliat, commentary by Riccardo Felicioli, a real journey of discovery through a dark and mysterious city, where Gae Aulenti guides the visitor in meeting Olivetti; a catalogue with text by Giovanni Giudici – an anti-catalogue, if understood in the traditional meaning of the word – which helps to interpret the languages and composition techniques that have been used in the exhibition; the exhibition poster designed by Clino T. Castelli, which represents a new and different Vitruvian man with a variety of movements and shapes, differing from defined standards.

The exhibition at CAMERA develops across the original images of the Ivrea archive, with the aim not only of bringing the dynamism and enthusiasm of those years back to life, but to also present a way of thinking that (with incredible and still very current modernity) brought together art, design, the production and creation of value starting from the working world.

The exhibition therefore provides a unique opportunity for the public to learn about a great example for responsible business, whose “image” is the spokesperson for the most advanced creative culture of the time and is today recognised as a UNESCO heritage site.

In the spring of 2019, the exhibition will be moved to Ivrea within the Museo Civico “P.A. Garda”.

The exhibition will be inaugurated and opened to the public at 18h00 on 6 December. 

Following the inauguration, an in-depth review of the exhibition will take place at 19h00 with photographer Giorgio Colombo and the participation of Pier Paolo Peruccio, Professor of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Turin Politecnico, and Marcella Turchetti, from the Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti.
The review, which forms part of the initiative known as “Thursdays in CAMERA”, will be free of charge for the occasion.

Entry to the exhibition is free.