A year before the opening of what is going to be an unprecedented event, the members of the Torino 2008 World Design Capital Advisory Committee were presented at a press conference held in Torino on January 31, 2007. The Advisory Committee’s role will be to guide the project’s development and to submit the most pressing issues in contemporary design to the Organising Committee’s attention.

The Advisory Committee members are:

  • Gillo Dorfles, painter, author of numerous of essays on design and aesthetics, and founder of MAC (Movimento Arte Concreta);
  • Guta Moura Guedes, former director of the Belém Culture Centre (Lisbon) and founder of Experimenta, the cultural association that promotes design culture and organises the Lisbon Biennial ExperimentaDesign, one of the most internationally acclaimed events of its kind;
  • Enrico Morteo, architect, design historian and critic, writer, and TV and radio presenter; and
  • Michael Thomson, founder of the London-based consultancy Design Connect helping design firms with business strategy, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Read Advisory Committee member biographies

Along with the Advisory Committee, other speakers present were Sergio Chiamparino, Torino 2008 Organising Committee Chairman, Peter Zec, President of Icsid (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design), and Andrea Bairati, deputy chair of the Organising Committee.

The meeting was moderated by Carlo Forcolini, President of ADI (Association for Industrial Design). The Organising Committee took the occasion to present the progress made so far and to illustrate the goals that the city has set to achieve, conscious of its role as “beta tester” for the World Design Capital project.

“Being designated to host the XX Olympic Winter Games,” declared Organising Committee Chairman Sergio Chiamparino, “can be seen as the
culmination of many of the policies implemented by the City of Torino in recent years. The nomination was the trigger for a process of profound change in the city’s identity, the starting point on a truly international journey leading towards the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy and of which Torino 2008 World Design Capital represents a fundamental step.”

In 2008, Torino will be the first ever World Design Capital
The World Design Capital title, awarded by Icsid on behalf of the IDA (International Design Alliance), the world’s leading professional body with a mission to promote design as a tool for sustainable development, is first and foremost a recognition of Torino’s powerful determination to use design to renew the city itself through strong ties with innovation and creativity as well as its deep-rooted heritage and wide-ranging skills in design.

“Representing both added-value for products and a strategic element across all of Piedmont’s industrial sectors, design is one of the main ingredients in innovation. In this sense, “Design is direction” is an ideal indication of the way forward,” declared Organising Committee Deputy Chair Andrea Bairati. “Our goal will be to promote and enhance design, both at home and in the world, through high-level training and by attracting young creative talent.”

Torino 2008 offers an amazing opportunity to showcase Italian design as well as being the ideal platform for developing national and international ties. The experience of the Advisory Committee members will make sure that the event offers the public a clearer view of what is happening in contemporary design, balancing its relevant issues, meanings and facts with Italian sensibility and the value of our bold, multi-faceted, and often hidden local identity.

Design is first and foremost the privilege of asking questions
In harmony with this perception, Torino 2008 sets out to fashion a character of its own by adopting new solutions and methods, stimulating open participation, and creating a system of visual communication that will grow through the dedication and experience of those that welcome design as an invitation to improve life.

A list of the first events scheduled in the Torino 2008 World Design Capital calendar will be presented in April, alongside the Milan Furniture Fair.

Torino 2008 World Design Capital Organising Committee:
– CITY OF TORINO
– PROVINCE OF TORINO
– PIEMONTE REGION
– CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF TORINO
– COMPAGNIA DI SAN PAOLO
– FONDAZIONE CRT
– ADI (ASSOCIATION FOR INDUSTRIAL DESIGN)

For more information, please visit www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it