Olivetti Podium 16 I Compassi d'Oro di Olivetti / Olivetti's Compasso d'Oro Awards

The volume accompanies the exhibition of the same name presented at the ADI Design Museum from 5 May to 11 September 2022, celebrating Olivetti’s primacy with 16 awards at the Compasso d’Oro won with machines and products between 1954 and 2001, from the famous Lettera 22 to the Artjet 10 printer.
The book and exhibition, curated by Manolo De Giorgi, provide an opportunity to look back at the company’s work and its founder in the development of the Italian production system and design history.
Podium 16, retracing the story of the Compasso d’Oro, is also an investigation into the role that machines have played in our most immediate daily surroundings. In the comparison between Nizzoli’s ornamental-sculptural plastic approach, Sottsass’ archaeo-anthropological approach, Bellini’s technical-behavioural approach and De Lucchi’s electronic-playful approach, Olivetti machines have always worked to shorten the distance between technological invention and behaviour by reducing the distance between work space and domestic space.

In addition to historical photographs of the winning projects and objects, the historical-critical contributions by the curator and an analysis in depth by Chiara Alessi on the question of the ‘corporate’ image and the (non) design choices, the book offers dialogues entitled Making Machines Talk staged by Sara Chiappori and Renato Gabrielli. A theatrical expedient, which involves the personification of faxes, printers, desks, lamps and drawer units by restoring movement to the machine-objects, which, through their conversations, reconstructs their central role within the historical boundaries in which they have served their purpose. The dialogues, interpreted by the students of the Paolo Grassi School, directed by Giulia Sangiorgio, are available through listening positions in the exhibition at the ADI Design Museum.

Bilingual Italian / English edition, translation by Jon Cox.