Domitilla Dardi's 'Cucire Universi' Reclaims 'Minor Arts' as Design History

Domitilla Dardi's new book 'Cucire Universi' (Einaudi) argues that techniques like sewing, ceramics, cooking, and knitting—often dismissed as 'feminine' and secondary—are fundamental to design history. Dardi presents a counter-history of design, showing how these practices have driven innovation in fields from domestic science to aerospace engineering. She cites examples such as Emily Dickinson's herbarium, which rivaled scientific taxonomies of her time, and Louise Brigham's 'Box Furniture' (1909). The book challenges the dualism between art and craft, arguing that the distinction is ideological and gendered. Dardi draws on thinkers like Tim Ingold and Richard Sennett, and designers Ettore Sottsass and Bruno Munari, to reframe these techniques as 'projective media' with transformative potential. The article, edited by Giulia Marani, includes excerpts from the book.