With the current exhibition Tutto. Perspectives on Italian Art not only are we hosting for the first time a substantial body of works from another collection in the Sammlung Goetz, but nearly 40 design objects from Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum as well. These include glass works from Murano, ceramics by Italian terracotta manufacturers, colorful plastic furniture in unconventional shapes, office machines by Olivetti and street furniture such as an Agip petrol station. The juxtaposition of commonplace avant-garde objects with works of fine art attests to how greatly the various artistic genres in Italy inspired each other between the 1950s and 1980s.

The glass works from Murano are a particularly good demonstration of the influence of new artistic trends that emerged in the post-war period. The Venice Biennale exhibitions also had an impact on the glass art of the neighboring island. Contemporary forms of expression are impressively combined with sophisticated craftsmanship. Here, glass does not serve simply as a vessel or container; rather, it is transformed into an image carrier, an object, a sculpture. Older, partly ancient techniques were transported into the modern period. The employed colors underscore the vitality of the forms, making them glow or fade. This exciting period, which ended in the 1980s, was marked by a spirit of renewal that was embraced and reflected in the experimental and open approach of the “maestri del vetro,” the master glassmakers. Without them, the artists would not have been able to realize their ideas; quite a few masters even became artists.

Ettore Sottsass, an Italian architect and the founder of Memphis, was pioneering in his combining of disciplines. With his unconventional designs, he fought against the myth of rationality. In the exhibition at the Sammlung Goetz, he is represented with a variety of objects ranging from glass vases, fruit bowls and teapots to typewriters and a sideboard.

In turn, Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum presents two works by the artist Alighiero Boetti from the holdings of the Sammlung Goetz in their exhibition space devoted to Italian Design after 1945.

Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum has contributed a richly illustrated, booklet to this cooperation, which is available free of charge in both exhibition houses.

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