Giovanni Anceschi on Design as Unfinished Process and the Ulm School Legacy

In an interview with Stefania Gaudiosi, designer and theorist Giovanni Anceschi (born 1939 in Milan) reflects on his education at the Ulm School of Design, the legacy of his mentor Tomás Maldonado, and the nature of design as an incomplete, ongoing process. Gaudiosi frames the conversation around the idea that 'design is the unfinished' — a process without beginning or end, a feverish elaboration always in becoming. The interview is structured in two parts: the first explores Anceschi's career from Kinetic Art to teaching Basic Design; the second is a tribute to Maldonado, who recently passed away. Gaudiosi draws on a book published by Costa&Nolan, 'La Scuola di Ulm, Una nuova cultura del progetto', which includes an exercise by Anceschi from 1962/63 titled 'Primadonna, Elementi di equilibrio percettivo' under Maldonado's instruction. She cites Maldonado's words on design as approximation rather than perfection: 'There is no definitive, perfect teaspoon, just as there is no perfect, definitive city.' The interview is part of Gaudiosi's series 'L'arte è un delfino' (Art is a Dolphin), which also features conversations with Davide Boriani and Giacomo Guidi. The article appears on Artribune, an Italian art magazine, and includes promotional sections for newsletters 'Incanti' (art market), 'Render' (urban regeneration), and 'PAX' (cultural tourism).