The exhibition “Olivetti: People, Projects, and Products” opens

In recent years, we’ve seen exhibitions that, through the reenactment of previous shows, created new narratives, offering updated interpretative keys. With Olivetti: People, Projects, and Products, hosted at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, the aim is to revisit the structure of the retrospective Design Process Olivetti 1908–1978, recreating an excerpt of the original exhibition.

The Olivettian vision of people in their daily operational roles and the company’s product design—an embodiment of the knowledge of the Ivrea-based firm—serve as the exhibition’s narrative framework. The installation draws inspiration from Hans von Klier’s 1978 design, employing trapezoidal cardboard parallelepiped modules to guide visitors through a journey marked by the key milestones of people, projects, and products.

The narrative rests on the solid foundation of Natale Capellaro’s mechanical inventions, moving forward with the voice of Gastone Garziera, one of the four members of Pier Giorgio Perotto’s team, recounting the development of the first desktop personal computer, the P101. It then transitions to the Divisumma 18 and the innovative sales strategies employed for a calculator designed to compete with early digital products from Texas Instruments.

Albert Leclerc shares insights into the development of the Series 45, while Roberto Pieracini provides a photographic exploration of the Valentine typewriter, showcasing its use in unconventional settings. The story concludes with the extraordinary journey of George Sowden, his research into electronic devices, and the design of the L1 System.

The exhibition features anastatic reproductions of parts of the original show catalog printed on the walls and highlights key Olivetti products from 1950 to 1978 through interviews with key figures.

Within the exhibition, RESTART/MILANO takes center stage, reactivating Olivettian projects to engage in an active dialogue with the exhibition’s narrative. Maurizio Navone brings variations to functional and typological themes by developing a thematic collection grounded in memory, quality, and rituals.

Key pieces include:

• The Olivetti agenda designed by Enzo Mari, illustrated with works by Diego Perrone
• A redesigned ashtray by Giorgio Soavi
• A reinterpretation of the Spazio lamp series by BBPR
• A sideboard designed around the multifunctionality of the Olivetti Synthesis Series 45

These four projects, through conceptual shifts, embody the timeless nature of Olivetti’s design ethos.