Carlo Ratti's 'Objectify' Series Explores the Garden Gnome's Noble Genealogy
In the summer series 'Objectify' by Wallpaper*, architect Carlo Ratti delves into Italy's culture through commonplace items, beginning with the garden gnome. Ratti, who leads CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and directs MIT's Senseable City Lab, connects the gnome's origins to Roman Lares agrestes and its 19th-century mass production by Griebel and Heissner in Thuringia. Despite criticism from elitists, gnome sales continue to grow. Notable designer reinterpretations include Philippe Starck's Attila for Kartell (2000), Elio Fiorucci's Nano for Riva 1920, and Pellegrino Cucciniello's Nino for Plato Design. Ratti considers the gnome a precursor to contemporary non-human entities. The series, featured weekly in Il Sole 24 Ore, aims to shed light on neglected Italian artifacts. Additionally, Ratti teaches at Politecnico di Milano and designed the Olympic Torch for the 2026 Winter Games.
Key facts
- Carlo Ratti launched 'Objectify', a summer series in Wallpaper* magazine, exploring ordinary Italian objects.
- The first installment focuses on the garden gnome, tracing its genealogy to Roman Lares agrestes.
- Modern garden gnomes were mass-produced in Thuringia in the late 19th century by Griebel and Heissner.
- The term 'kitsch' was coined around the same time as the gnome's mass production.
- Designers Philippe Starck, Elio Fiorucci, and Pellegrino Cucciniello have created high-design gnome versions.
- The ten-euro terracotta gnome outsells all designer versions combined.
- Ratti describes the gnome as the oldest interface between house and garden, predating home automation.
- The series is also published weekly in Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
- Ratti directs the Senseable City Lab at MIT and teaches at Politecnico di Milano.
- Ratti designed the Olympic Torch for the Winter Games 2026 and directed the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice in 2025.
Entities
Artists
- Carlo Ratti
- Philippe Starck
- Elio Fiorucci
- Pellegrino Cucciniello
- Achille Castiglioni
Institutions
- Wallpaper*
- Kartell
- Riva 1920
- Plato Design
- CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Senseable City Lab
- Politecnico di Milano
- Il Sole 24 Ore
- La Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Italy
- Thuringia
- Singapore
- Venice
- Osaka