Mario Bellini: Architect and Designer
A word from the Director
In planning the inaugural exhibitions for the re-opening of the National Gallery of Victoria, we thought it only fitting that one of the major exhibitions be dedicated to the work of the architect of the NGV redevelopment, Mario Bellini. Not only is Bellini one of the pre-eminent architects of the 20th century, but he is also one of the most versatile and influential designers of his generation. We therefore thought it doubly fitting that Mario Bellini: Architect and Designer should inaugurate what will be an on-going program of exhibitions focussing on the best in contemporary architecture and design.
Bellini graduated in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic in 1959 and for the next twenty years focussed his attention on furniture and industrial design, developing his distinctive aesthetic in the context of a deep respect for the materials and classical forms of traditional European and Italian culture. The visual approach taken in this exhibition allows his sources to be clearly understood. To say that Bellini is a prolific designer is an understatement. From his iconic industrial designs for Olivetti typewriters, landmark furniture for Cassina, B&B Italia and Vitra (especially the celebrated CAB series), electronic equipment for Brionvega and Yamaha and lighting for Artemide, Flos and Erco, Bellini’s name has become synonymous with a level of excellence associated with contemporary Italian design. Such is Bellini’s reputation as a designer that he was one of the first designers to be accorded a one-man show during his lifetime at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Although Bellini has always retained a commitment to design work throughout his celebrated forty-year career, it has to be said that over the last twenty years he has concentrated on a number of major international architectural projects ranging from the Tokyo Design Centre, the extension to the Milan Trade Fair and the International Congress and Exhibition Centre in Cernubbio. Most recently , he has won the competition for a large and significant cultural centre combining a public library and theatre in Turin to be completed at a cost of 120 million euros.
The total redevelopment of the National Gallery of Victoria, a project spanning more than seven years and costing a total of 168 million dollars, is the latest completed project in Bellini’s distinguished career. It is true to say that Bellini’s pre-eminence as a designer is perfectly balanced by his architectural work and my colleagues and I have had the good fortune to witness first-hand in many meetings, and in many walks around our building site, the sophistication of his eye, and his faultless sense of form, line and colour. Sometimes the simplest and most subtle of variations has transformed the visual appearance of key parts of our building. Bellini’s style is elegant, minimalist and yet always appropriate; classic in the most general sense.
Bellini has also had a distinguished career as a designer of art exhibitions. The many memorable exhibitions he has designed include The Treasures of Venice (Grand Palais, Paris, which also came to the NGV in 1997), Italian Art in the 20th Century (Royal Academy, London), The Renaissance from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo: The Representation of Architecture (Palazzo Grassi) and most recently The Triumph of the Baroque: Architecture in Europe 1600-1750 (Palazzo Grassi). It is worth pointing out that in 1999, we entered into a separate contractual arrangement with Mario Bellini to work with our design department on the exhibition installations. The opportunity to involve the hand of Mario Bellini in the presentation of the NGV was one not to be passed up and we were delighted that Bellini and his team accepted the challenge with gusto. The result is evident in every aspect of the building and the installation of the collections. It is worth reminding our visitors that, wherever possible, we have incorporated Bellini design in our building, such as the Bellini chairs in our café and rest area. We are particularly pleased that Bellini has designed exclusively for the NGV a bench for the gallery spaces, and a series of elegant metal plinths for our sculptures and other 3-D objects.
We can therefore regard the redevelopment of the NGV, its new architecture and the installation of the collections as an example of the best in contemporary Milanese design. In December 2003, Museum Victoria will also showcase Italian design – including the work of Mario Bellini – in a comprehensive exhibition from the Triennale of Milan entitled Design in Italy, 1945-2000.
When we first thought about this exhibition, we anticipated a fairly traditional presentation of objects and architectural models. It was Mario Bellini himself who suggested that the best way to understand the essence of his style would be via a dynamic multi-media presentation, tracing the many and varied aesthetic influences on both his design and architectural corpus. Thus, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Mario Bellini, his son Claudio Bellini, Senior Architectural Associates, Giovanna Bonfanti and Giovanni Capaletti, and all at Mario Bellini Associati, Milan, for their enthusiastic involvement in this most fascinating of projects. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the NGV curatorial team led by Tony Ellwood, with Tracey Judd, for their diligent management of this complex project. Thanks also to Jean-Pierre Chabrol, our Multi-Media Designer, for producing such an evocative digital presentation for the exhibition. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the support of Barisol for their generous provision of the elegant flooring.
As the NGV heads into the next phase of its 140-year history, we are all confident that the building, as redeveloped by Bellini, will welcome back our past dedicated audiences as well as a new generation of art-lovers and artists. For, in Bellini’s own words: “Good architecture can have a series of new lives”.
Gerard Vaughan
Director, NGV
