Lecture and Panel discussion
Ettore Sottsass: Design as Storytelling
Date
19 May 2026
Time
18:00 PM - 19:00 PM
Where
Via dell'Oriuolo 31, Florence - Italy
Fruition
In-person event
A conversation exploring Ettore Sottsass’ design vision across architecture, design, and visual culture, as part of the exhibition I Am an Architect.
There comes a moment when an object ceases to be just an object and becomes a question; when architecture turns into a way of building relationships.
Ettore Sottsass understood this deeply and demonstrated it throughout Tuscany: through the ceramics created with Bitossi Ceramiche in Montelupo Fiorentino, the furniture designed for Poltronova in Agliana, and the experiences connected to Olivetti between Pisa and Massa. Experiences that helped define a design language capable of becoming provocation, narrative, and an act of thought.
As part of the exhibition Io sono un architetto. Ettore Sottsass, organized by Fondazione Pistoia Musei (Palazzo Buontalenti, until July 26), IED presents a special event dedicated to one of the most influential figures in Italian and international design. The exhibition traces over thirty years of Sottsass’ design research through drawings, photographs, ceramics, objects, and archival materials, while also highlighting his deep connection with Tuscany.
The publication accompanying the exhibition, published by Electa, breaks down the exhibition path into a constellation of words that evoke Sottsass’ unique way of thinking and creating.
The discussion will feature Enrico Morteo, curator of both the exhibition and its accompanying publication, Monica Preti for Fondazione Pistoia Musei, Alessandra Acocella from the University of Parma and Benedetta Lenzi from IED Firenze, in an open dialogue between past and present.
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