Paola Antonelli
Paola Antonelli is an Italian author, editor, architect and curator. She is currently MoMa’s Senior Curator of Architecture & Design and the Director of R&D. She believes that design is much more than styling and that ‘without design, innovation would be futile’. Her latest project is @design.emergency, an interview series with design critic Alice Rawsthorn that explores the true potential of design in crises.
If you could recommend 3 books to anyone, what would they be?
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
Who knew you could tell part of the history of the world using one element—in this case, the cod—to access different regions and cultures? I used that stratagem many times in my exhibitions and articles, an object as a fil rouge. Kurlansky also wrote Salt, Paper, and many other incisive books.
This is the classic Italian recipe book. I have nearly every edition, the cloth is powder blue, the letters are embossed in silver with little stars, the spine is about 3.5 inches. It is falling apart, with papers with handwritten recipes from my mom and my grandmother peeping out. In typical Italian way, the recipes are hints—"two grabs of rice per person, plus two for the pot" and "stir with patience until cooked." They authors count on the fact that you have already been taught to cook by your mother. My US friends, who are used to being given very, very precise instructions, cannot cope.
Design as an Attitude by Alice Rawsthorn
A collection of critical essays on design about topics as diverse as gender politics, colors, and craft, the book celebrates the diversity and range of design practices and cultures. Alice Rawsthorn, the foremost design critic of our times, is not only curious and endlessly knowledgeable, but is also an engrossing writer. As she has already proven in her many years as a columnist for the FT, the Herald Tribune, and the New York Times, she has the ability to expand the understanding of the importance and power of design to a wide audience. And design is my joy.
What are you reading now?
I am not jumping at the idea of reading books about the Italian Renaissance but it was recommended to me by a friend that I love and trust. She says that it is very a propose of today, and could help our reasoning about funding the arts.
Whose reading list are you most curious about?
“Anybody that comes from a culture other than mine! I am eager to learn about other cultures.”
— Paola Antonelli
