Radical period (design)

The Italian "Radical" period took place in the late 1960s, when the design avant-gardes changed style. Probably the most notable result of this avant-garde period is the installation called "Superarchitettura", made in Pistoia in 1966.

Description

Within the Italian design framework and action environment, Superarchitettura literally triggered the Radical Period.

Another important studio was placed in Milan and called "STUDIODADA". The members of STUDIODADA were: Ada Alberti, Dario Ferrari, Maurizio Maggi, Patrizio Corno, Marco Piva and Paolo Francesco Piva. Other professionals of that period were: David Palterer, Tomo Ara, Battista Luraschi, Bepi Maggiori, Alberto Benelli, Pino Calzana, etc.

In that period there was a sort of "dichotomy" between architects and designers following the concept of form/function design and others trying to privilege the styling. Between those, sprung a new movement called "Postmodernism" or "Neomodernism" led by Alessandro Mendini. This movement defined themselves an avant garde, started to edit objects instead of project them. Searching for new surprising surfaces and applying any sort of decoration, to objects they intended to anti-banalizing them. Director of reviews like "Casabella", "Modo" and "Domus" from 1980 to 1985 he succeeded to promote the new tendency. After some year, this movement vanished, but some parts of the researches on surfaces were used for the styling of the new objects. The form/function concept predominated. But the postmodernism impulse research from exhibitions like "L'INTERNO OLTRE LA FORMA DELL'UTILE" (Interior space after the form of usefulness) held in TRIENNALE DI MILANO in 1980, pushed producers to experiment with materials and approaches. The spirit of new designer promoted the transformation.