Italian design and democracy

La Fortuna, Loredana 2015. Italian design and democracy. JOMEC Journal (8) , pp. 1-11. 10.18573/j.2015.10031

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Abstract

This article focuses on Italian design, a field which is particularly apt for study from the critical perspectives of cultural studies, both because of its hybrid, interdisciplinary nature, and because of its implicit imperative to change society, potentially even in more democratic ways. The fact that the Italian language uses the English word ‘design’ to refer to one of the most popular Italian production areas is significant. In Italy, in fact, there is no specific word describing a field that has a number of different connotations at the same time. Sometimes design seems to be a form of art, at times a science, sometimes an aesthetic discourse, or a philosophy of living. By way of reference to bel design, the Italian design of the 1950s, and particularly to the experience of Adriano Olivetti and his company, this article investigates a specific historical and intellectual conception of design as a complex and uneven movement, in terms of its political and ethical propensities. The article asks whether this conception of design is still possible nowadays.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BH Aesthetics J Political Science > JA Political science (General) N Fine Arts > NC Drawing Design Illustration N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Democracy The Olivetti case Italian post-war history Planning
Additional Information:	JOMEC Journal no. 8 is a special issue, entitled "Italian Cultural Studies" and edited by Floriana Bernardi.
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2049-2340
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Date of Acceptance:	2015
Last Modified:	03 May 2023 20:08
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/83840

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