Vignelli Center for Design Studies Archives on display in Italy

Triennale di Milano, a museum of art and design in Italy, is hosting the first major retrospective on Lella and Massimo Vignelli’s contributions to international design and graphic culture.

The exhibition, “Lella and Massimo Vignelli: A Language of Clarity,” highlights the work of the Italian graphic and product designers, who were prominent in the international design scene. Long regarded as “ambassadors of Italian design in the US,” they are known for their personal interpretation of Swiss-derived rationalism. The exhibition is on display in Milan until Sept. 6.

Before their passing, the couple formed a relationship with RIT’s College of Art and Design. The pair, inspired by their dedication to educating future generations of designers, donated their personal archive to the university, which led to the establishment of RIT’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies.

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies Archives, stewarded by Archivist Jennifer Whitlock, worked with the Triennale museum for two years to help develop the exhibition, and the archives loaned a large number of collection items to the museum for the exhibition display.

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Josh Owen, center, said it was a priority to ensure RIT students could see the exhibition in person. Here, he poses with Justine Kim, Jaydon Thompson, Aiden Spicer, and Ethan Anthony. A fifth student, Sadie Goldberg, also attended but was not photographed.

“Sixteen years into the Vignelli Center for Design Studies integration into the landscape of RIT, thousands of students have been exposed to its value. The center is not simply a repository of the Vignelli’s work, it is a living laboratory where object lessons are taught every day,” said Josh Owen, director of the Vignelli Center and the Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design.

He added, “When all of us who knew the Vignellis are gone, the Vignelli diaspora of the future will emanate from the beacon of the Vignelli Center at RIT.”

Five RIT students studying abroad attended the exhibition’s VIP opening celebrations, giving them a personal glimpse into the world of international designers.

Aiden Spicer, a third-year industrial design student and member of the Vignelli Center Student Club, was studying abroad in Copenhagen when he learned of the opportunity, and he jumped on it instantly.

“While we were there, we wanted to talk to as many people as possible and hear their stories,” said Spicer, from Springfield, Va. “What I found most amazing was, even years after the Vignellis have passed, the impact of their work still resonates with so many. People were coming from everywhere to pay their respects and see this exhibition.”

Spicer met people like Jasper Morrison, one of the exhibition’s designers, Lella and Massimo Vignelli’s daughter and granddaughter, as well as others who have made significant contributions to the field of design.

Jaydon Thompson, another third-year industrial design student and member of the Vignelli Center Student Club, also attended the opening, and he left Milan hungry for more engagements with the international design community.

“I feel like being there physically is different than looking at an Instagram post from Design Milk or at a design magazine. When you get to meet and talk to people, what you gain from those personal interactions is priceless. It opens you up to the world,” said Thompson, from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Thompson is also studying abroad in Copenhagen this semester and explained that he and Spicer are close friends. He said he enjoyed sharing this experience with a friend, and that he feels passionate about introducing even more of his friends, like third-year student and fellow club member Kimberly Tana, to the international design scene.

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Another highlight for both Thompson, left, and Spicer, right, was getting a personal tour of the Achille Castiglioni Foundation from Giovanna Castiglioni, center.

“When you make these connections, you're able to do things that are greater than what you can do on your own. I'm excited to see what I can do and what doors are opened for me just by being at this exhibit and absorbing ideas from the work, and I want to share that with my RIT design family,” Thompson said.

Before their adventures in Milan were over, Thompson and Spicer experienced firsthand where connections in the international design community can lead. In addition to seeing the exhibition and enjoying local food options, the pair received a personal tour of the Achille Castiglioni Foundation given by his granddaughter, Giovanna Castiglioni.

How did it happen? They simply knocked on the door and introduced themselves as RIT students studying under Owen, who recommended they stop by the foundation.

“Getting a tour of the studio felt like living in a history class. Being able to see where the Castiglioni brothers worked and hearing about their process felt very similar to being at the Vignelli exhibition. I felt more connected to them,” said Spicer. “It was a super insightful part of the trip that I didn’t know would happen when I arrived.”

“Lella and Massimo Vignelli: A Language of Clarity” was curated by Francesca Picchi together with Marco Sammicheli and Studio Mut (Martin Kerschbaumer and Thomas Kronbichler), with exhibition design by the Jasper Morrison Office for Design with David Saik.