A major retrospective dedicated to Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass will open on 7 March 2026 at Palazzo Buontalenti in Pistoia, about 35 kilometres northwest of Florence. The exhibition, titled Io sono un architetto. Ettore Sottsass, runs until 26 July 2026 and presents more than 1,400 works spanning the period from the end of World War II to the mid-1970s.
The show examines roughly thirty years of Sottsass’s creative activity through drawings, architectural plans, photographs, documents and design objects. The exhibition is curated by Enrico Morteo and organised by Fondazione Pistoia Musei and Fondazione Caript with Electa and Fondamenta – Fondazione per le arti e la cultura.
A central figure in 20th-century design
Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) is considered one of the key figures in post-war Italian architecture and design. Over the course of his career he worked across several disciplines, including architecture, graphic design, photography and publishing.
The exhibition focuses on the years between 1945 and 1975, when Sottsass’s relationship with Tuscany was particularly strong. During this period he collaborated with several companies and institutions in the region while developing ideas that would later influence international design.
Many of the materials displayed come from the archive that Sottsass donated to the CSAC – the Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione at the University of Parma – and include numerous documents that have rarely been shown publicly. The exhibition also features loans from public institutions and private collections, including design archives and museums in Italy.
Ceramics, interiors and industrial design
The exhibition route follows a broadly chronological structure, tracing the evolution of Sottsass’s thinking and experiments with form, colour and materials.
One section explores his work in ceramics, including collaborations with the Bitossi ceramics workshop in Montelupo Fiorentino, a town near Florence known for its long tradition of ceramic production. Working with the artistic director Aldo Londi, Sottsass developed new approaches that treated ceramics not simply as decorative surfaces but as forms capable of expressing ritual and symbolic meaning.
Another part of the exhibition focuses on his early architectural and interior design projects from the late 1940s and 1950s. These works show how he moved away from the rigid principles of rationalist architecture, experimenting instead with colour, curved forms and spatial compositions that placed emotional experience at the centre of design.
From Poltronova to Olivetti
The exhibition also highlights Sottsass’s collaborations with Tuscan companies. In 1956 he became art director of Poltronova, a furniture manufacturer based in Agliana, near Pistoia. There he designed experimental pieces such as the Superboxes and items from the “Fly” series, including the Tempus mirror console and the Bastonio chest of drawers.
Another important chapter of his career was his work with the Olivetti company, which in the late 1950s asked him to design products for its electronics division. Sottsass contributed to the design of early electronic equipment and office systems, exploring how new technologies could be integrated into everyday environments while maintaining a strong visual identity.
Travel, spirituality and photography
A trip to India in 1962, combined with a serious illness, marked a turning point in Sottsass’s life and work. After this experience, his objects increasingly reflected philosophical and spiritual themes. Ceramics from the mid-1960s, such as the series Ceramiche delle tenebre and Offerta a Shiva, illustrate this shift.
The exhibition concludes with the photographic series Metafore, a group of black-and-white images that marked the end of an early phase of Sottsass’s career and anticipated the later Memphis movement of the 1980s.
Public programme and events
Alongside the exhibition, Fondazione Pistoia Musei will organise a programme of talks, workshops and cultural events focusing on design, film, music and visual culture. Guided tours, educational activities for schools and families, and inclusive initiatives for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers are also planned.
Visiting information
Io sono un architetto. Ettore Sottsass
Palazzo Buontalenti, Pistoia
Dates: 7 March – 26 July 2026
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Tickets:
• Exhibition: €10 (reduced €7)
• Combined ticket with other Pistoia Musei venues: €12 (reduced €9)
• Students: €5
More information and reservations are available through the official website of Pistoia Musei.
(Photo Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio. Courtesy Fondazione Pistoia Musei)
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