➤ Bruno Munari “Canarie” (Designed in 1958)
我們所居住的空間，充滿了人類的造物。
經典不多，然而每件傑作都是漫長心血的結晶——來自時間的積累，思想的千錘百鍊。
因此，優秀的設計能跨越時代與文化傳承下去，並綻放獨特的光芒。
——展覽監製：川上典李子（Noriko Kawakami）／田代薰（Kaoru Tashiro）
The spaces we inhabit are full of human-made forms. Fine examples are few, yet every outstanding piece will be the crystallization of a long hinterland. It will be the accumulation of time, and the condensation of thought. For this reason, we pass down superlative designs across ages and cultures, and they acquire special auras.
——Directors’ Messages by Noriko Kawakami, Kaoru Tashiro
➤ Noriko Kawakami
Photo | Kenichi Yamaguchi
➤ Kaoru Tashiro
Photo | Keizo Kioku
六位設計大師，展出畢生傑作
Six Design Maestros showcase the masterpieces of their lifetimes
本次展覽中以「設計大師」之名，介紹六位具有跨世代指標性的設計巨擘。分別是：Bruno Munari（義大利，1907–1998）、Max Bill（瑞士，1908–1994）、Achille Castiglioni（義大利 1918–2002）、Otl Aicher（德國 1922–1991）、Enzo Mari（義大利，1932–2020）以及 Dieter Rams（德國，1932–至今）。他們每一位都以自身的創作驚豔世人，每一位都致力於推動社會前進，設計所帶來的魅力至今仍帶來深邃且迷人的影響力。展出他們作品的同時，也在揭露形式背後隱密的思維脈絡。
The exhibition introduces six towering figures under the label of Design Maestros. They are Bruno Munari (born Italy, 1907–1998), Max Bill (born Switzerland, 1908–1994), Achille Castiglioni (born Italy, 1918–2002), Otl Aicher (born Germany, 1922–1991), Enzo Mari (born Italy, 1932–2020), and Dieter Rams (born Germany, 1932–). Each surprised people in many countries. Each possessed a power to propel society forwards, imparting a deep fascination that last until today. While showing their projects, we also reveal the philosophies hidden behind the surfaces.
➤ Exhibition visual (English ver.)
➤ Exhibition poster
於日常之物中，蘊藏尚待被發現的智慧
Wisdom Hidden in Everyday Objects, Waiting to Be Discovered
這些大師分別來自德國、義大利與瑞士，不屬於同一流派，而各自擁有不同的理念與驅動力。卻在戰後的歐洲走出獨一無二的道路，贏得大師級榮耀。正是這條共同的創意軸線使他們得以秉持迥異的創作方法與生活風格，卻仍在同一框架下對話。其中有些大師將他們的創作延伸至教育界，積極培育下一代設計師成長。而更重要的是，他們皆透過開創性視野為社會帶來嶄新的洞察。藉由投入各自的信念與積極實踐，開啟了一個全新的時代。於本次展覽中也涵蓋著名日本學者向井周太郎（Shutaro Mukai 1932–2024）的觀點，他與 Max Bill 、Otl Aicher 兩位大師交情深厚，其研究為日本設計的科學奠定堅實基礎。
The Maestros presented here are from Germany, Italy and Switzerland, and they did not belong to a single trend. Each had their own driving forces and notions, but with them, each beat a unique path in Post-war Europe, earning the shared status of design maestros. It is this common creative axis that justifies bringing them together, despite their individual methods and lifestyles. Some extended their work into teaching, assisting the development of future designers through education. But more importantly, all shared pioneering qualities, bringing new social insights. They opened up fresh eras by putting their hopes and beliefs into practice. This exhibition also includes the perspective of Shutaro Mukai (1932–2024) whose friendship with Max Bill and Otl Aicher laid the foundation for the Science of Design in Japan.
➤ Max Bill with the model of the Swiss Pavilion of the Venice Biennale (1948)
Ernst Scheidegger, max bill / pro litteris
這些大師從不將「形式」視為商業的附庸，他們以人文主義作為創作核心，並將其延伸至對環境的關懷。他們以德文稱呼自己為「Gestalter」、「Entwerfer」，或是義大利文的「 progettista」 ，翻譯過來就是「構思者」、「設計者」。換句話說，也就是「計畫承擔者」。這些詞彙也顯示出這些大師們是如何將設計視為一整體性、整合性的實踐。
None of the Maestros regarded “form” as subservient to commerce. They embedded a humanistic core in each project, extending this to an embrace of the environment. The six called their activities “Gestalter” and “Entwerfer” in German, or “progettista” in Italian, which in English mean “conceiver,” or “designer,” that is, “a person who undertakes a project.”
➤ Dieter Rams
Wolfgang Günzel ©rams foundation
以超越時空的設計，指引人性方向
Design Beyond Time: Guiding the Human Spirit
設計所蘊含的思考、創意與溝通，與生活本身密不可分。於展覽中將播放這六位大師的紀錄片，經由他們的語言及展出之作品，呈現他們在人文維度的創作脈絡，並激發參訪者思考：大師期待後世如何行動？我們又該如何獨立且積極的回應我們所身處的世界？
Acts of design that entail thought, creativity and communication are inseparable from life itself. The exhibition uses documentary film to show the human dimensions of the six designers’ endeavors, in their own words, and puts this alongside their representative masterworks. It provokes in visitors a sense of what these designers expected from their followers, and how we too should be independent and proactive.
➤ Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni “Arco” (Designed in 1962)
➤ Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni “Taccia” (Designed in 1962)
這場展覽不僅止是呈現作品本身，更將其視為行動的指引。觀賞之餘，還能聽見他們強而有力的主張。當人與人在場域中相遇，或許會激發更多對未來生活與社會的思考。在價值劇烈變動，資訊快速流動的當下，這或許正是一個好時機，回望大師如何以設計闡述多元觀點，並理解其在時空中長存且雋永的意義。
While showing the projects, the exhibition also sees these works as guidelines. We view them, but also listen to them as powerful statements. Human encounter provides avenues to think about the future of life and society. In this age of dramatically changing values, with its fast flows of mass information, we might wish to look back and consider masters who used design to articulate diverse viewpoints.
➤ Enzo Mari “Samos Series ‘Design for porcelain, Mod. G’” (1973)
Photo | S&T PHOTO ©2022
「向設計大師學習」展覽由 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT 舉辦。展期自 2025 年 11 月 21 日至 2026 年 3 月 8 日。展覽監製為設計記者川上典李子（Noriko Kawakami）與策展人暨作家田代薰（Kaoru Tashiro）。
Learning from Design Maestros held at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, during November 21 (Fri.), 2025 -March 8 (Sun.), 2026. Exhibition Directors are Noriko Kawakami, design journalist, and Kaoru Tashiro, curator and writer.
➤ Max Bill “Ulm Stool / Ulmer Hocker” (In collaboration with Hans Gugelot and Paul Hildinger, Designed in 1954)
