Mauto and Politecnico together for the summer school dedicated to Marcello Gandini

Summer School at Mauto

"The pencil is the most extraordinary means of connection between the brain – ideas – and reality. Starting a project from such a simple tool brings us out into the open: if we have an idea, a pencil and paper are enough; if we don't have one, no technology can have it for us," once said Marcello Gandini, a world-renowned designer to whom PoliTO awarded an Honorary Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2024.

And it is precisely to Marcello Gandini that one of the most recent projects of theNational Automobile Museum of Turin, Mauto, is dedicated and inspired. The museum, in collaboration with PoliTO, organized the summer school "Il design delle idee" (The Design of Ideas), an excellence course connected to the "ULTRALEGGERA" exhibition, which traces decades of automotive design history through many iconic models designed by Gandini. The school took place from June 18 to 21 in unconventional locations: from PoliTO’s wind tunnel to Marcello Gandini's studio in Almese, also involving the museum spaces of Mauto.

The summer school is an unprecedented initiative for the museum: an intensive course that, inspired by the reflections and genius of Marcello Gandini, explores the contemporary challenges of creative professions. Designers, architects, engineers, and planners were invited to step out of their comfort zone, integrating technical skills with a lateral and innovative perspective, alternative to traditional creative processes, through analog tools.

Paper, origami, plastic modeling, observation, and experimentation offered participants the opportunity to learn in a practical way, thanks to direct interaction with lecturers, designers, and professionals who collaborated with Gandini, including, for the Politecnico, professors Gaetano Iuso, professor of Fluid Dynamics at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering-DIMEAS, and Pier Paolo Peruccio, professor of Design at the Department of Architecture and Design-DAD, as well as Margherita Bongiovanni, reference person for the conservation and valorization of the University's historical-scientific heritage.

"This summer school fully represents the spirit of the Politecnico di Torino: a place where knowledge meets creativity, and where innovation is nourished by the dialogue between disciplines," emphasizes Professor Silvia Barbero, Vice-Rector for Communication and Promotion at the Politecnico. "By celebrating the work of Marcello Gandini, a master who knew how to innovate without ever repeating himself, we wanted to offer participants a unique opportunity to confront an extraordinary creative legacy and, at the same time, look to the future of mobility and design as shared territories of exploration and change".

More info about the Summer School

Find out more about "ULTRALEGGERA" exhibition

The participants visited PoliTO wind tunnel

The goal was to leverage knowledge of the past to bravely open up to experimentation and innovation of the future. Designed for the next generation of designers, the course aimed to create a bridge between Italy and Qatar, thanks to the collaboration with the QAM – Qatar Auto Museum and VCUarts Qatar – Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, offering a perspective on design and mobility as a creative and cultural expression. With a dynamic approach combining frontal lessons, workshops, guided tours of the Museum's collection, behind-the-scenes explorations of the ULTRALEGGERA exhibition setup, and project work, participants had the opportunity to put acquired knowledge into practice, shaping a design output that will be integrated into the exhibition project.

This interdisciplinary and dialogic method will foster synergies and comparisons among participants, mutually enriching and enhancing the training experience.

The ULTRALEGGERA exhibition – scheduled at Mauto until August 31 – born from the collaboration between Studio Marcello Gandini, QAM, and VCUArts Qatar – is inspired by Gandini's revolutionary legacy. It is a project that celebrates the designer's work through an innovative scenography that brings his iconic works into dialogue with the creations of design students. The exhibition explores the theme of movement not only physical but also cultural and creative, opening new perspectives and fostering connections between tradition and innovation.

Photos: Bin Jia e Mauto Press Office