In April, the “Olivetti · Folon” exhibition opens in Brussels.

The Design Museum Brussels hosts the Olivetti · Folon exhibition in collaboration with the Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti, Gruppo TIM, Fondation Folon, and the Museo Civico P. A. Garda of the city of Ivrea Together, these partners bring back to life a collaboration that spanned decades, with a unique social vision of industry and a humanistic approach to the world.

Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2003) worked for Olivetti for nearly thirty years, creating posters, advertising materials, as well as numerous books and cartoons of immense creativity and profound humanism. The exhibition Olivetti · Folon The Olivetti · Folon exhibition presents this rich artistic collaboration between the Italian company, one of its most well-known artistic directors (Italian writer Giorgio Soavi), and the Belgian artist, through a fascinating selection from the historical heritage of the Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti, artworks from the Olivetti Art Collection, owned by Gruppo TIM since 2003, and the Fondation Folon.

Curators Marcella Turchetti and Paola Mantovani have integrated the selection with some pieces from the collections of the Design Museum Brussels, particularly the iconic Olivetti typewriters, focusing on three decades of work and correspondence to be displayed in a 600 m2 space Among the works, mention can be made of the large mural of Waterloo Station in London that immerses the visitor in Folon’s universe, the animated film “Le message,” as well as agendas and gift books for employees and clients of the company. “So many new artistic experiments whose poetry and contemporaneity will be fully revealed in Brussels,” rejoice the curators.

Revealing a lesser-known aspect of Folon’s work, the exhibition will delight enthusiasts of art history, design, industry, and social policies. It fits into a symbolically important year, that of the ninetieth anniversary of Folon’s birth, alongside two other major exhibitions at the Magritte Museum and Maison Autrique that together bring together multiple facets of this versatile artist who broke down genre boundaries.