The Wick List

Viewing  The radical – and often contradictory – vision of designer Enzo Mari

“When I design an object and people say, ‘Oh, well done!’, I unfailingly ask myself, ‘Where did I go wrong?” the Italian designer Enzo Mari once told an interviewer. “If everybody likes it, it means I have confirmed the existing reality and this is precisely what I don’t want.” This declaration sums up the contrarian nature of a man who once described his nation’s design as “pornography”, made by the “Italian mafia for the Russian mafia”. Mari, who died in 2020, was an unrepentant communist and a staunch critic of consumerism, who regularly lambasted the design industry. Yet he became one of the most influential figures of 20th century design, with many of his creations still in production today, including his ever popular children’s toy, 16 Animali: a series of cartoonish animals cut from a single piece of oak, which can be nestled together like a jigsaw puzzle.

The Design Museum’s exhibition – curated by Hans Ulrich and Francesca Giacomelli – is a compelling testament to a man who was full of contradictions. It shows the breadth of Mari’s 60-year career, amassing hundreds of his projects, ranging from furniture, children’s books and games, product and graphic design, to more conceptual installation-based works. An impressive cast of artists have also been commissioned to respond to the work, including Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Mimmo Jodice and Dozie Kanu, showcased in a free display on the first floor’s balcony. See Mari’s spirit live on, in all manner of guises.

Share story
Dates
29 March 2024 — 08 September 2024
READ MORE
The Wick Culture - Ardhanarishvara, lord who is half woman, Shiva and Parvati combined in one deity © The Trustees of the British Museum
The Wick List

Viewing Ancient India: living traditions at the British Museum

The Wick Culture - The Chelsea Punk. Created by Chelsea in Bloom. Floral Installation. RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
The Wick List

Viewing RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea

The Wick Culture - Do Ho Suh Nests, 2024. Courtesy the Artist and Lehmann Maupin New York, Seoul and London and Victoria Miro. Photography by Jeon Taeg Su. © Do Ho Suh
The Wick List

Viewing Do Ho Suh: Walk the House at Tate Modern

The Wick Culture - Photo London 2025
The Wick List

Viewing Photo London at Somerset House

The Wick Culture - Another Country Is Possible, 2025. Premiums I, Royal Academy of Arts, 2025. Photographer Andy Keate
The Wick List

Viewing Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell and Dwayne Coleman: Duets at Teaspoon Projects

The Wick Culture - Rankin, Faik Off
The Wick List

Viewing Rankin: Faik Off at Annroy Studios