A manifesto-monograph that traces the life of one of the fathers of Italian design through anecdotes, ideas, projects, and a few controversies.
In Mari’s vision, design and politics are intertwined, not separate: every design choice is an ideological stance, and the title itself declares it: there is no single “right” way to solve a problem, but many possible paths, each with different consequences for those who produce, those who sell, and those who use. To design is to choose which side to be on.
The tone is that of someone who has nothing left to lose: Mari does not spare criticism of the design system, the star system, or the complacent academy. The result is a harsh, at times uncomfortable portrait, but one that highlights all the ambiguities of the sector.
In this, Mari is no hero; he is not without his flaws, and he also recounts his failures and his evolution over the decades. From this emerges the image of a designer who is never subservient to the entrepreneur, but rather an equal partner in conversation.
The Rawrview
Not a design book in the technical sense of the term, but a lesson on what it means to have a design and political vision. A must-read to remind us why we chose this profession.
