Giustini / Stagetti

Ettore Sottsass Jr. was born in Innsbruck, spent his childhood in Trentino, and was educated in 1930s Turin, following in the footsteps of his father, architect Ettore Sottsass Sr. (1892–1954). In 1939, he graduated from the Polytechnic University, although he also nurtured a passion for painting, which he developed in the studio of Luigi Spazzapan.

In 1946, he moved to Milan, where he worked as an architect while also collaborating with the Triennale, curating the installations for the crafts section.

Three years later, he married Fernanda Pivano, who introduced him to English-language writers, particularly the leading voices of the Beat Generation. In 1967, alongside Allen Ginsberg, he co-founded the underground magazine Pianeta Fresco.

Sottsass pursued his architectural career in parallel with his work as a designer, the latter earning him several prestigious accolades. These included the Compasso d’Oro for the Elea 9003 electronic computer (1959), and again in 1970 for Valentine, the first portable typewriter, both produced by Olivetti.

In 1961, due to a serious kidney infection, he was hospitalised in Palo Alto, California, and was saved at the last moment thanks to corticosteroid-based treatments—an experience that left a lasting impression on him.

An indefatigable traveller, he never ceased to explore Europe, America, and the East. His journeys served both as a source of inspiration and as the subject of numerous conceptually driven photographs.

In 1976, the Venice Biennale dedicated a major retrospective to Sottsass, curated by Vittorio Gregotti. It was on this occasion that he met Barbara Radice, his future partner, who would play an active role in both the founding of the Memphis group (1981) and the magazine Terrazzo, published from 1988 to 1996.

The final years of his life were marked by intense exhibition activity and collaborations with both leading names in industrial design and prominent galleries.

Ettore Sottsass passed away in Milan on New Year’s Day, 2007.

Courtesy of Fondazione Giorgio Cini Archivio Ettore Sottsass Jr.