Bruno Munari

Bruno Munari (Milan, 1907 – Milan, 1998) was one of the most influential Italian artists, designers, and writers of the 20th century. Initially associated with the second Futurist movement in Milan, Munari distinguished himself through experimental research on forms, colors, and visual perception, creating works such as the famous 'macchine inutili' (useless machines, 1933), mechanical devices that anticipated optical and kinetic art. In the 1930s and 1940s, he focused on abstract painting and advertising graphics, working for Mondadori and as art director for the magazine Tempo. In 1948, he founded the Concrete Art Movement (MAC) with Gillo Dorfles, Gianni Monnet, and Atanasio Soldati, promoting a synthesis between art and technology. In the 1950s, he developed concave-convex sculptures, positive-negative paintings, and experimented with projected and polarized painting, exhibited at the MoMA in New York in 1954. Munari was also an innovator in education and children's creativity, designing workshops for children and children's books. His work spans graphic design, industrial design, photography, and conceptual art, leaving an indelible mark on the history of Italian and international design.