Bruno Munari's Children's Books Spotlighted at CIMA New York

The Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA) in New York presents 'Bruno Munari: The Child Within', an exhibition exploring the Italian designer's innovative children's books. Curated by Steven Guarnaccia of Parsons School of Design, the show features approximately 130 books, objects, and artworks from archives, museums, galleries, and private collections. Munari (1907–1998) was a polymath who dedicated much of his career to education and children's literature, creating playful, sensory-rich books that experiment with paper, light, cutouts, and transparency. His 'Libri illeggibili' (unreadable books) challenge conventional reading by engaging a child's intelligence beyond text. The exhibition also includes design objects like the 'Fontana a ruota', 'Forchetta parlante', and 'Canarie' desk set, as well as the modular children's room 'Abitacolo' (1971) and the 'Falkland 165 Floor' lamp (1964) by Artemide. Many volumes are on loan from Corraini Edizioni, the primary publisher of Munari's books and co-organizer of the show, with additional books from the library of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di New York. The exhibition runs until January 14, 2022, at CIMA's SoHo loft at 421 Broome Street.