The Sala Mercadal of the COAM in Madrid is presenting the exhibition Olivetti Universe. The Community as a Concrete Utopia, which was inaugurated last Friday by the Italian Ambassador, Riccardo Guariglia.
Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Fondazione MAXXI and the Fondazione Olivetti and organised by the Instituto Italiano de Cultura in Madrid, under the auspices of the Italian Embassy in Madrid, the exhibition aims to deepen the knowledge of one of the fundamental figures of the Italian 20th century: Adriano Olivetti who, by combining production processes, social responsibility and attention to the urban territory, created a unique business model that is still relevant today. Between the 1930s and the 1960s, Adriano Olivetti created, through and around the Ivrea factory, the ideal of a visionary landscape in which industrial and technical modernisation is based on an innovative reorganisation of spaces and a precise idea of the relationship between the factory itself, the city, the territory and those who live in it. At Ivrea, technological research, design, architecture, social responsibility and responsibility towards the territory are integrated into a unique and innovative model of doing business that is totally innovative in the 21st century. It is precisely this holistic vision that has been decisive for the inscription of Ivrea, a 20th century industrial city, on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
