Bloomsbury
The book presents the only collection available in English of the writings of the Argentinian artist, designer, educator, and design thinker Tomás Maldonado. Maldonado was a pivotal figure in European design and design theory, whose influence spanned from the 1950s until his death in 2018.
Beginning his career as a painter in Argentina, he moved to Europe in the 1950s to teach at the Ulm School of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung – HfG), where he later served as director until the school’s closure in 1968. After developing the influential "Ulm model," Maldonado relocated to Italy, where he continued working as a designer while establishing himself as a major voice in design philosophy and criticism.
In 1970, he published La Speranza Progettuale (translated into English as Design, Nature, Revolution), one of the earliest books to address critical ecological concerns through a design lens. Over subsequent decades, he wrote extensively on design practice and futures, communication and semiotics, critiques of technology, and the role of the critical intellectual.
Raimonda Riccini is a professor of design studies at the IUAV University of Venice, specializing in the history and theory of design. Her research focuses on the intersections of modernity, design culture, and critical theory, with particular attention to the work of Tomás Maldonado. Riccini has published extensively on Maldonado and has contributed to the broader understanding of his contemporary relevance through her teaching, writing, and curatorial work.
