BRUNO MUNARI
1931 – 1998
Bruno Munari was one of the most original protagonists of 20th-century Italian art, graphics and design. An eclectic artist, from his beginnings in the 1930s with the Second Futurism movement, he always dedicated his creative activity to experimentation, declining it in all its forms and ranging from painting, sculpture, design, photography and didactics. One of the central themes of his work, also communicated through his intense activity as a writer, is that of spreading his concept of art for all, which he will develop throughout his career: the artist must intervene in society by creating things that have aesthetic value. Since the 1960s, he has been working above all with children, preserving and developing their creativity, designing books and toys for them without ever separating the dimension of content from that of form and material. The toys and games he makes are often “unfinished”, because they have to be completed and modified by the user for active participation. A further step forward in ludopedagogy, education through play, was made by Munari with the organisation of workshops for children, now operating in different parts of the world.
Photo © Giliola Chiste