Archivi d’Affetto: Rescuing Forgotten Turin Architects and Designers

The Circolo del Design in Turin launches Archivi d’Affetto, a project curated by Maurizio Cilli and Stefano Mirti, to recover and showcase the stories of overlooked local architects and designers. The first episode focuses on Leonardo Mosso (1925–2019) and Laura Castagno, who founded the Istituto Alvar Aalto – MAAAD (Museum of Architecture, Applied Arts and Design) in their hilltop home-studio. Their collection includes letters by Giò Ponti, dedications from Max Bill, texts by Adriano Olivetti, furniture from the Gualino Collection, and a musical score inspired by Mosso's 400 sqm work 'Nuvola Rossa'. Some of Mosso's works are held by the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The project includes a physical exhibition at the Circolo del Design starting March 23, running for two months, a website designed by FIONDA, a documentary by IED Torino featuring Castagno and collaborator Gianfranco Cavaglià, and artist residencies involving a designer, a critic, a musician, and a photographer. The initiative aims to make fragile archives accessible to the public, highlighting figures like Mosso, who co-founded the Associazione Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin in 1953 with Maria Adriana Prolo.