A current exhibition titled Design in Italy (
As an exhibition to demonstrate what distinguishes contemporary Italian designers and manufacturers, it is an impressive collection of work, especially for fans of retro fashions.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TFAM
However, as an exploration of why and how Italian designers experimented with and researched designs using different technology and materials, the 100 displayed objects do not quite suffice. The exhibition provides more of a general impression of Italian design, rather than a comprehensive introduction.
Design in Italy features the selections of the Triennale di Milano, which exhibits more than 1,000 pieces of contemporary Italian design works. Under curator Silvana Annicchiarico, "Design in Italy" has been touring Asia since 1997, intending to give a concise picture of Italy as one of the foremost centers of furniture design and industrial design.
The objects are arranged in chronological order, subdivided into five major sections corresponding to analogous macro phases of Italian contemporary history: the post-war and reconstruction (1945 to 1960); the economic boom (1960 to 1970); the years of social unrest (1970 to 1980); the alphabets of communication (1980 to 1990); and finally the difficult search for new identity (1990 to 2000).
The displays in Design in Italy are proof that in the post-modern era retro is hip. The vintage classics from the 1950s to the 1970s are visibly more elegant than recent inventions or designs.
One of the most classic Italian designs is the Vespa scooter. Now, after 50 years in production, the Vespa still occupies a significant section of the scooter market and remains a fashion item as much as a transportation tool. Displayed along with the light green Vespa is a Lambretta scooter, also designed in 1946.
Another eye-catching object is Joe, a leather couch in the shape of a giant baseball glove that is apparently a pean to American pop culture and a tribute to baseball star Joe DiMaggio. The amusement in this piece comes from its disproportionate dimensions and its carefree, anti-tradition spirit, which harkens back to the culture of the 1960s.
Arabesco is a wooden table designed by Carlo Mollino in 1949. Its curved and bent elm wood board reminds one of Savaldor Dali's paintings. The stainless nails connecting the wood and the glass tabletop balance the soft tone of the wood and add an industrial element to the design.
Thanks to Andy Warhol, pop art held a huge influence over Italian design in the 1960s and the GA45 POP, designed in 1969, is proof. The green and orange portable record player functions by inserting a 7-inch record in the mouth of the player and has an integrated speaker. It's like the iPod of the 1960s.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum is at 181 Zhongshan N Rd, Sec 3, Taipei (
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Last week the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the budget cuts voted for by the China-aligned parties in the legislature, are intended to force the DPP to hike electricity rates. The public would then blame it for the rate hike. It’s fairly clear that the first part of that is correct. Slashing the budget of state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is a move intended to cause discontent with the DPP when electricity rates go up. Taipower’s debt, NT$422.9 billion (US$12.78 billion), is one of the numerous permanent crises created by the nation’s construction-industrial state and the developmentalist mentality it
Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead. Automatic assessments from the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people. Myanmar’s ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had