Mario Bellini retrospective at La Triennale di Milano reveals uneven quality

Key facts

• Mario Bellini was born in Milan in 1935.
• He designed the first desktop computer for Olivetti in 1965.
• He designed the Pop record player in 1968, a precursor to the iPod.
• He designed the Divisumma 18 calculator for Olivetti in 1973, whose soft rubber anticipated touch screens.
• Cassina has sold 700,000 Cab chairs since 1978.
• MoMA New York holds 25 of Bellini's objects.
• Bellini has won 8 Compassi d'oro, the first in 1962.
• The exhibition is curated by Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum London, with Ermanno Ranzani for architecture and Marco Sammicheli for design.
• Bellini designed the installation himself, as he did at MoMA in 1987, a privilege previously granted only to Charles and Ray Eames.
• Francesco Moschini is the catalog curator.
• Oliviero Toscani photographed Donna Jordan for B&B's 1972 campaign.
• The Kar-a-sutra was created in 1972; the original is lost but a replica will be built.
• The Villa Erba Congress Center in Cernobbio was built 1986-1990.
• The Fiera Milano was built 1987-1997.
• The exhibition layout includes a Portal, Gallery, Square, and four rooms.