“Olivetti • Graficarte” exhibition

Born from the collaboration between the Municipality of Ivrea and the Olivetti Historical Archive Association, a new exhibition opens that highlights a selection of works by artists, designers, graphic designers, and art directors who long collaborated with Olivetti of Ivrea. This includes figures such as Costantino Nivola, Giovanni Pintori, Marcello Nizzoli, Franco Bassi, Walter Ballmer, Ettore Sottsass Jr., and Milton Glaser, as well as works by creatives like Anna Monica Jost, Adrianus Van der Elst, and Isaka Yoshitaro. This variety demonstrates how expressive freedom transcends boundaries, transforming advertising into an art form integrated into the industrial process. Olivetti’s communication, polyphonic and unique, was particularly noted for its ability to speak many languages.

The exhibition is divided into sections that examine the role of Olivetti’s commissions in the advertising industry.
The first section illustrates Camillo Olivetti’s early venture in the late 19th century as a bicycle retailer, then focuses on advertising posters from the 1910s and 1920s, such as Teodoro Wolf Ferrari’s 1912 poster for the Olivetti M1 and Marcello Dudovich’s works for the Olivetti M20.

The second section covers the period from the 1930s to the 1950s/60s, highlighting the deepening integration between Olivetti and the art world and showcasing some of the long-lasting collaborations with artists of the caliber of Marcello Nizzoli, Giovanni Pintori, Costantino Nivola, Bruno Munari, and Walter Ballmer.

The third section deals with advertising campaigns from the post-war period to the 1990s, presenting works by artists such as Giovanni Pintori, Franco Bassi, Walter Ballmer, Milton Glaser, and Roberto Pieracini.

A fourth section highlights Olivetti’s social commitment through advertising campaigns addressing themes like sustainability, environmental protection, energy conservation, and food education, featuring the famous Save our planet campaign posters along with works by Egidio Bonfante.

Olivetti Graficarte is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the world of Olivetti’s advertising graphics, where art and creativity played a fundamental role in developing a distinctive and innovative visual language.

The exhibition is made possible with the support of Regione Piemonte, Fondazione CRT, Fondazione Guelpa, Biverbanca, Novacoop, and AEG, and in collaboration with the National Business Cinema Archive.