Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass (Italian, born September 14, 1917 in Innsbruck – died December 31, 2007 in Milan), architect and designer, is considered the godfather of Italian design. Born in Austria and raised in Milan, Sottsass studied architecture at the Politecnico di Torino in Turin. He spent much of World War II in a concentration camp in Yugoslavia, then returned to Milan, where he established his own industrial and architectural design studio.
Sottsass moved away from pure functionalism and began experimenting with designs with social and historical components. At this time, Sottsass became a leading figure in the anti-design movement. In 1981, he led a group of designers, known as the Memphis Group. This group uses colors and supports, creating multifunctional pieces and breaking with conventions. They work in neon, unusual finishes and patterned plastic laminates.
Even after the decline of the Memphis movement, Sottsass continued to create provocative works, constantly challenging the conventional practices of the time. He also created the architectural firm Sottsass Associati, whose aim is to create large-scale designs.
Sottsass's work is the subject of numerous retrospectives, notably at the Center Pompidou in Paris, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Design Museum in London. He received several awards, including the title of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1992, an honorary doctorate from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1993, another from the Royal College of Art in London in 1996, a Oribe Prize in Japan in 1997 and a Sir Misha Black Prize in 1999.
He died in Milan at the age of 90 in 2007.
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