Ettore Sottsass and the Poetry of Things

‘I have been obsessed with the Italian architect and designer Sottsass and the Memphis Group he found all my life. I love everything about Sottsass’s work – it’s modern, optimistic, humorous, functional and intelligent. The designs in this book make me feel proud to be Italian. ’ —Donatella Versace on Ettore Sottsass

“Dudjic reads the career of Sottsass as a means of telling the story of 20th century design as a whole. …the Memphis Group, which came to define postmodernism of the 1980s, has since influenced the look of everything from cushions to trainers. …This lively narrative complements the exquisite Sottsass monograph published by Phaidon in 2014.” —New Design

“this book is a gem of straightforward information and tall tales” —selectism.com

“Sudjic first met Sottsass after a party to celebrate the launch of Memphis in 1981, arguably one of the pivotal days in the colorful life of the Italian designer, and Sudjic’s writing is informed by this personal connection” —Metropolis

‘His greatness existed less in individual creations than in the space between everything he did. ’ —The Guardian on Ettore Sottsass

“a pivotal figure in mid-20th century European culture” —The Quarterly

Born in London, Deyan Sudjic studied architecture in Edinburgh, edited Domus magazine in Milan, was the director of the Venice Architecture Biennale and has been a curator in Glasgow, Istanbul and Copenhagen. He is now director of The Design Museum in London. His books include Living in the Endless City, and monographs on John Pawson and Shiro Kuramata. His most recent book, B is for Bauhaus was published by Penguin in 2014.

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