In celebration of Kartell Museum's 25th-anniversary and the refresh of its archival materials library, Kartell will present the temporary exhibition, "Memories from the Future," dedicated to Joe Colombo's work for the iconic Italian design brand. The title unites memory and future, emphasizing that the future is not to be waited for passively but to be built actively today as a collective commitment rooted in the knowledge of the past and memory.
Among the repertoire of designers who have shaped Kartell's history, Joe Colombo (1930-1971) stands out for his unique talent as he made the concept of “future” a central figure to his designs. With Joe Colombo, the future becomes concrete, taking form in his innovative ideas and objects. Throughout his collaboration with Kartell, Joe Colombo explored fundamental themes such as material experimentation, technological research, and functionality, envisioning a future that could be realised in the present. His designs represent an experimental and forward-thinking vision. Colombo's designs continue to represent an evolving potential capable of inspiring new generations.
The exhibition celebrates the value of the archive as a tool for continuous innovation, reflecting the forward-looking vision that Kartell and Joe Colombo bring to life each day through ideas, experiments, and creations that embody a commitment to change.
| Hours | By appointment:https://www.kartell.com/at/en/ktat/st/museo |
| Venue | Kartell Museo |
| Type | Exhibition |
| Duration | By appointment |
| City | Milan |
About
Kartell Museo
Kartell Museo was established in 1999 on the occasion of the company’s fiftieth anniversary by President Claudio Luti with the aim of conserving, promoting and enhancing the company’s material and intangible cultural heritage. In 2000, the museum has obtained the Guggenheim Business and Culture Award for the best company museum. Its collections, always in progress, consist of more than 8,000 objects, 5,000 designs and 15,000 photographs that together recreate a precise picture of Kartell’s history and production, the plastic materials adopted, the production technologies and the communication and distribution strategies used over the course of the company’s 65 years of activity. Kartell Museo is housed in the Kartell factory in Noviglio, at the gates of Milan, the company’s general headquarters since 1967. The building was designed by architects Anna Castelli Ferrieri and Ignazio Gardella, and is considered to be one of the most interesting examples of industrial architecture in Lombardy. The permanent display of the museum covers more than 2,000 square metres, and was designed by architect Ferruccio Laviani and curated by Elisa Storace. The display includes the most interesting materials linked to the design history of the objects produced from 1949, the year the company was formed, to date. Standouts include car accessories, household items, lamps, laboratory items, furniture and accessories which have contributed to changing the domestic landscape and which have entered into our daily lives as iconic objects of Italian design.
