La Selettiva del Mobile: Cantù's 1955-1975 Design Competition

From 1955 to 1975, Cantù hosted the Concorso Internazionale del Mobile, a biennial furniture competition that catalyzed Italian design. Organized by physician Serafino Leoni Orsenigo with local authorities and the Triennale di Milano, the competition attracted international designers and jurors including Gio Ponti, Alvar Aalto, Finn Juhl, and Carlo De Carli. Over 900 entries were submitted in 1959 alone. Prototypes were produced by local firms like Cassina, Gavina, and Molteni, many becoming Italian design icons. The competition featured eight sections and included works by Mario Bellini, Vittorio Gregotti, and Angelo Mangiarotti. Jurors also included Carlo Mollino (1957), Luigi Caccia Dominioni (1959), Ignazio Gardella (1961), and Franco Albini with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1963). The initiative inspired similar prizes in Mariano Comense. However, after 1963, the event distanced from local production, and the 1961 launch of Milan's Salone del Mobile shifted focus. The 1975 winner was Swiss designer Werner Blaser, with prizes to Kurt Zugaj, Ilmari Tapiovaara, and Taichiro Nakaj. An exhibition titled "La Selettiva del Mobile. 1955-1975" curated by Tiziano Casartelli was held at the Ex Chiesa di Sant'Ambrogio in Cantù until October 16, 2016, showcasing 32 recovered prototypes.