In 2021, to mark the centenary of the foundation of the Maioliche artistiche Guido Bitossi manufacturers, the new Archive exhibition space was opened to the public in Montelupo Fiorentino.
The Bitossi Archive Museum showcases the entire Bitossi industrial archive in an area of 2000 square metres next to the manufacturing plant, preserving the original structure of the premises with clear architectural references to its industrial past. The mise en scène has been designed according to a principle of layers with four different exhibition levels.
The star of the show is the historical Archive, consisting of around seven thousand pieces of ceramic, a selection of plaster models and moulds from the second half of the 19th century to the present day, work tools and a body of paper documents relating to product development and marketing that form a picture gallery.
The works on display are arranged by chronology and type, forming a colourful gallery that pays tribute to the formal and chromatic evolution of Italian style and taste . A story of Florentine ceramic excellence made up of artisanal research, innovation and collaborations with the great masters of design.
The layout of the museum, which can be visited by appointment, ends in the company showroom displaying the current catalogue collections, and the project room showcasing the company’s latest project.
In addition to the Archive Museum, the Bitossi Industrial Archive also comprises an extensive collection of documents relating to clients: order sheets, catalogues, letters, projects, drawings, notebooks etc. There is also a collection of photographs that comprises historical images, colour photos and slides of production, sales catalogues, advertisements, press reviews etc.
The archive as a whole is a cultural repository, a source of energy for the design and development of new ways of seeing and expressing the shape of the times.
The Bitossi Industrial Archive has been declared of considerable “historical interest” by the Archival Superintendency for Tuscany.
FOR INFO
Via A. Gramsci, 14 – 50056 Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze, Italia)
+39 0571 51033
info@fondazionevittorianobitossi.it
www.fondazionevittorianobitossi.it
