Gio Ponti Italy, 1891-1979

Gio Ponti is a key figure in the Italian Modernist movement of the 20th century. Architect, industrial and furniture designer, teacher, artist, writer and publisher, Gio Ponti designed a considerable amount of buildings and numerous objects and furniture during his six-decades long career. 

In 1928, he launched the prestigious Domus design magazine whose mission was to promote the renewal of architecture and design. In the 1930s, he created furniture and light fixtures for Fontana Arte, of which he became artistic co-director with Pietro Chiesa. Ponti also collaborated with the silverware company Christofle and the venetian glassmakers Venini. He actively contributed to implementing new ideas in the sector of design, and encouraged high quality production while showcasing the skills of exceptional craftsmen with whom he worked on various projects. 

He participated and created artistic events such as the Biennale of Monza, the Triennale of Milan, the Compasso d'Or Prize and the ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale - Association for Industrial Design). 

Besides his prolific career as a designer and architect, Ponti was also a professor at the Politecnico di Milan from 1936 to 1961. Through his teaching and the articles that he published in various magazines, Gio Ponti has made a decisive contribution to the regeneration of post-war Italian design and to its transmission to future generations.