The daughter of the master of design and heart and soul of the Achille Castiglioni Foundation is ready to evaluate the candidate submissions
This week we chat with Giovanna Castiglioni, one of the jurors participating in the new edition of the Archiproducts Design Awards.
Heir to the precious heritage of ideas and projects that her father Achille left to the design world, Giovanna has been the soul and driving force of the Castiglioni Museum and Foundation since 2005. As vice-president of the Foundation, she mixes biography, personal memories and the anecdotes to tell the story of the most important projects by the master of twentieth-century design, winner of ten Compasso d’Oro awards and creator of Made-in-Italy design icons. To name but a few: the Arco and Parentesi lamps – celebrating their 50th birthday this year; the Mezzadro stool; the Joy bookcase; the Brionvega radio.
‘Opening my father’s studio to the public was a challenge that my mother Irma and my siblings gave me. How could I say no? For me, Achille was a funny, ironic, playful, affectionate and caring father – very little of that ‘great master of design’ as many people define him’ – Giovanna Castiglioni.
With the opening of the Studio Museum in Piazza Castello 27, visitors immerse themselves in Achille Castiglioni’s design works and learn about his creative process through archival documents.
The Foundation has developed a special relationship with visitors, transforming the museum into a place that is no longer static, looking only to the past. It is now a space where everyone, whether professionals or not, can relive the magic of the objects designed by Achille Castiglioni and get closer to the design process of each object.
‘Even today, when I enter the studio in Piazza Castello 27, I am overwhelmed by the task. However, the four rooms are cosy, full of objects from my childhood. They change during the day with the light that moves from room to room. The spaces are full of stories, projects, prototypes, objects from friends and surprises that keep coming back and surprising us‘ – Giovanna Castiglioni.
Giovanna Castiglioni is on the 2021 ADA jury with some of the most influential names in the design world. We asked her about her expectations from this year’s submissions and her personal vision of the near future of design – a sector that is changing rapidly, not least of all because of the global pandemic.
Here’s what she told us.
Interview with Giovanna Castiglioni, on the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards jury
What do you expect from the entries, and what features should the winning products have?
I am looking forward to discovering objects designed by creatives who have studied our history and roots to launch us into a sustainable future. I’d like to be surprised by a new product and say: interesting, wow, I’ll buy it!
How should contemporary design evolve to meet the needs of the community?
I think product design today has to redesign the living space that sheltered us during this period, whether we love it or hate it. Let’s not throw things away. Let’s redesign them!
In the post-pandemic era, how can design define a ‘new normal’?
By rolling up its sleeves and responding to new needs. Also, by exploiting practicality, function and above all, the conditions dictated by the moment. And by pursuing ethical choices to serve the community and offer the public honest, sustainable and value-for-money products.
How do you think the pandemic has affected design?
In the beginning, the pandemic fell like a deafening silence. Then came revenge because, in the world of design, creativity always wins out! Many designers have created objects to improve certain conditions, but some are individual projects (and I am not referring to funny little masks). The right time has come for brands to get back on their feet and focus on young designers, perhaps even groups of designers who can work together on projects that are truly useful to the community by creating functional, affordable and dynamic objects.
Today is the ultimate submission deadline for the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards.
Today is the last day for brands from all over the world to nominate their products and compete for the title of winner!
The jurors – called upon to vote on the entries for the Award’s sixth edition – are ready to evaluate the essential aspects of innovative, ethical and sustainable design.
They will vote for an initial longlist, a selection of proposals that will enter the final stage of the Awards. The winners will be selected from the longlists and announced during the first week of November.
Apply now!
Ph. Andrea Basile
Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, stanza prototipi
Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, stanza prototipi
Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, stanza tecnigrafi
Ph. Stefano Guindani