Radio Design: the aesthetic evolution of radios

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Guglielmo Marconi and the 100th anniversary of the first public radio broadcast, from 5 to 31 October 2024, Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli hosts the exhibition Radio Design: the aesthetic evolution of radio devices.

Over 50 models from the collection of Davide Vercelli, curator of the exhibition, bear witness to the revolution that has affected the world of radio, from the first valve devices to the most modern devices. The exhibition, which before the Emilian stage is presented in Milan at the ADI Design Museum until 27 September, offers an unprecedented journey into the world of radio design and technology, exploring the changes and innovations that have characterized this fascinating sector.

Ample space is dedicated to the epic of important companies such as Braun, Ducati and Brionvega and to the contributions of authoritative designers such as the Castiglioni brothers, Zanuso and Sapper, Le Corbusier, Starck, Pantom and Loewy. The exhibition is divided into a story of the different “lives” of the radio through a detailed analysis of the socioeconomic contexts, personal stories and inventions that have contributed to the aesthetic evolution and diffusion of the radio from the 1930s to the present day: the radio as a symbol of modernity, a propaganda tool, a means of entertainment and, today, a multifunctional device.