Emanuele Quinz's 'Contro l’oggetto' explores conceptual design beyond the object

Emanuele Quinz's book 'Contro l’oggetto. Conversazioni sul design' (Quodlibet, 2020) argues that design increasingly operates against the object, taking forms such as text, image, film, installation, performance, and participatory strategies. The essay traces an ontological and historical perspective on conceptual design, examining projects that generate dynamic imaginaries not flattened by form and object creation. Quinz draws on the seminal reflections of German design theorist Gui Bonsiepe, who held that systematic treatment of even marginal topics can reveal virtues inherent in design practice. The book features voices of protagonists who question the object as design's sole positive referent, including Giovanni Anceschi of the Gruppo T neo-avant-garde, who describes his choice of design from an art perspective as a political commitment, echoing the idea that design is art dissolving into life. Other figures cited include Clino Trini Castelli, Yves Béhar, Martino Gamper, Didier Faustino, Mathieu Mercier, Superflex, and Ernesto Oroza. Quinz's polyphonic approach confirms a drive to redefine design as a social practice transforming behaviors and worldviews. The book implicitly echoes Enzo Mari's ideological proclamation: designing in order not to be designed. Marco Petroni, design theorist and critic, contributed to the article.