Design and Made in Italy, seen from the designer’s viewpoint: this might sum up the gist of what promises to be one of the most interesting exhibition initiatives in the capital for the fall-winter season, entirely on the production and culture of design.

From 5 November 2009 to 31 January 2010, in Rome, the Museum of the Ara Pacis, more and more often chosen as the site of design exhibitions, will offer the prestigious setting for the show “Disegno e Design – Italian Patents and Creativity”.

De Padova participates in the show with the Silver chair designed by Vico Magistretti: much more than just a chair, this is a seating system, composed of a fixed or swivel chair, a stackable chair and multiple bar-mounted seating, with or without armrests. “The Silver chair was created” – Maddalena De Padova recalls – “by looking for new materials to reinvent the Thonet, a weave for the seat… I remember that Vico was inspired by a basket for eggs a friend of mine had brought back from a trip to China. The result – through marvelous flights of fancy and lots of technical research – is a chair that is both beautiful and comfortable, a best-seller all over the world”.

Organized by Fondazione Valore Italia – which operates to promote Italian design and to create the Permanent Exposition of Made in Italy – the show “Disegno e Design – Italian Patents and Creativity”, curated by Alessandra Maria Sette and produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development, General Directorship for the Fight against Counterfeiting - UIBM; the Ministry of Cultural Resources and Activities – Department of Archives; City of Rome – Department of Cultural Policies and Communication; the Fondazione ADI – Compasso d’Oro; and with the support of other important institutions, agencies and associations in the design sector, focuses on a seldom explored but fundamental aspect of Italian industrial culture: how is an object born? And how does its design evolve?
Creativity at the service of industrial production: this is the starting point of the exhibition, which focuses on the project aspects that come before the final production of an object.
The exhibition, through fascinating, truly surprising documents, most of which have never been shown in public, namely model and invention patents registered at the Central State Archives and the Italian Office of Patents and Trademarks, offers an original overview of this relatively unknown aspect of the history of Italian industry.

The exhibition itinerary retraces one century of Italian innovation and design, also with a look at some of the latest research. It is subdivided into product sectors (furnishings, fashion, food, transportation), featuring precious original patent certificates of many products, some of which have become true icons of Italian design and production, while others are completely new. The itinerary is enhanced by the presence of many of the objects in question, along with all the documentary materials – drawings, projects, sketches, films, advertisements, audio contributions – on the inventions, the companies, their history and their personalities, from historical archives and corporate museums, from Rai Educational, Radio 24 and private collections, for an absorbing narration of ideas and their realization.

Visitors will be amazed to encounter – just to name a few of the stand-outs – products like the Vespa scooter or the Moka Bialetti coffeemaker, the Campari Soda bottle or the Vanity Fair armchair, the Mirella sewing machine or shoes by Ferragamo, but also the very new Hope chandelier and the original Forchets stool… and to discover, in their patents, the lines of a drawing, or a technology capable of lasting over time, and of continuing to inspire new creativity.
A voyage made possible by the participation of leading Italian companies that have made design history, and still represent the best of our country.