From August 25, 2021, we will be showing a new exhibition on the Italian visionary Adriano Olivetti (1901-1960), which will thus be on display in Germany for the first time. Under the title “Universe Olivetti. Community as Concrete Utopia”, the broad spectrum of his work is illuminated: from the entrepreneurial culture of innovation and organization of work, to the forward-looking combination of technology and design, to social commitment to urban development, society and politics. In addition to milestones of industrial design and world-famous typewriters and calculating machines, the exhibition features numerous historical documents, photos and films that vividly convey the “Olivetti universe” to visitors.
While the name “Olivetti” is also quite present in Germany and not only insiders associate it with groundbreaking design, the social commitment and political work of Adriano Olivetti is less well known. Yet it is precisely the company’s sense of responsibility and concrete commitment to its employees, urban development and the local community that seems particularly topical today. In collaboration with some of Italy’s best architects and designers, Olivetti had research facilities, housing estates, social services and kindergartens designed, so much so that his hometown of Ivrea was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. As a politician, he advocated the long-term stabilization of smaller communities – the “Comunità” – in which the freedom of entrepreneurial independence should always go hand in hand with an improvement in living conditions and solidarity.
The exhibition “Universe Olivetti. Community as Concrete Utopia” gathers all these different aspects in a concentrated form. It conveys a history that is as interesting as it is topical, one that is still able to inspire us in many ways today and – with a view to the current start-up scene – can certainly serve as a model.
The exhibition was conceived by the Italian Ministry for International Relations (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale) in collaboration with MAXXI – Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo in Rome and the Fondazione Adriano Olivetti, and will be shown in various countries from 2021. In Germany it is presented by the Italian Cultural Institute Berlin and the CLB Berlin.
For the exhibition visit, the usual hygiene measures apply at this time.
Mediation program
We are happy to offer individual group tours (10 persons or more) through the exhibition. Please contact kontakt@clb-berlin.de to make an appointment.
An exhibition of the
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
in collaboration with
MAXXI – Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo
and Fondazione Adriano Olivetti,
organized by
Italian Cultural Institute Berlin
and CLB Berlin.
Cover photo (c) CLB Berlin
Universe Olivetti Insights
Photographer | Dario-Jacopo Laganà.