Who wouldn’t know Pinocchio, the legendary puppet designed by Geppetto in Carlo Collodi’s “Adventures of Pinocchio” that is still one of the most beloved and bestselling Italian books worldwide, even after 140 years of its first publication. Now it’s time to redesign it!
Tallinn Design Festival, in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Estonia, is proud to present a multidisciplinary exhibition "Carissimo Pinocchio" / “Dearest Pinocchio”, ideated by ADI Design Museum and curated by Giulio lacchetti, featuring fascinating redesigns of Pinocchio by Italian designers and graphic designers. For instance, the exhibition features objects like Pinocchio masks, bottle openers, cutting boards and vases.
To celebrate this occasion, we have interviewed the curator of the exhibition, Giulio Iacchetti, asking how the idea was born and why should one come to see it.
How was the idea of the “Dearest Pinocchio” exhibition born?
Already for some time I had been thinking about an exhibition dedicated to Carlo Collodi's world-famous puppet. I have always been inspired by its strong yet simple iconicity... a vertical volume crossed by a horizontal element is enough to immediately read a form that refers to Pinocchio, so I thought of asking many friends and colleagues to produce new interpretations of Pinocchio, and so it was...
There was no competition or qualification to pass, I simply called the designers around me that I deemed suitable to tackle the theme, and the response was extremely positive!
In your own words, what is the story that you would like to tell the world with the “Dearest Pinocchio” exhibition?
The story of Pinocchio is steeped in design values, such as making everything out of nothing, reconsidering the value of waste - Pinocchio was born from a piece of wood destined to be thrown into the fire. There is also an ‘animist’ dimension of an object that comes to life, it is a theme dear to the Italian way of designing, how can we not think back to the teachings of Alessandro Mendini and Ettore Sottsass?
How many redesigns of Pinocchio can we see in the exhibition?
There are more than 60 free interpretations of our puppet, including graphic drawings and wooden models, the collective vision of all these multiples gives us the idea that Pinocchio cannot be set in a single three-dimensional interpretation or drawing, Pinocchio is always evolving...!
You have told in the introduction that in a way Geppetto, the creator of Pinocchio, was the first real Italian designer, knowing how to give value to what, at first, was an ordinary piece of wood. In your opinion, what are some of the other designs of Italian origin that have had the same role to play in Italy's legendary cultural and design heritage?
Such masters of Italian design as Enzo Mari, the Castiglioni brothers, Vico Magistretti - and many others - have had the merit of rethinking everyday things by adding intelligence and subtracting decorative encrustations or those of mere aesthetic value. An incomparable lesson.
And finally – would you suggest the exhibition to both, young and bigger visitors, and why?
The exhibition is truly for everyone! Children will enjoy seeing a character as well known and loved as Pinocchio, while adults will consider that the story of Pinocchio can always be rethought and reinvented....
Grazie, Giulio! And grazie, Pinocchio!
Photos: "Dearest Pinocchio" exhibition, participating designers.
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