Italian design vs Greek design

My article “Style over substance? The reception of Italian design in Greece” is published in the on-line journal AIS/Design Storia e Ricerche, no 2, November 2013.

Full paper as pdf file

Abstract

Transnational exchanges and influences are crucial in understanding design; this essay focuses specifically on the reception of Italian design in Greece. Italian design has had a steady and powerful influence on Greek design in the post-war period. In particular, the sensorial and emotional aspects of Italian design have been highly valued and exploited for commercial purposes. However, this paper argues that the reception of Italian design in Greece has been one-sided and superficial. Emotional aspects of Italian design have held a privileged and perhaps excessive role, while parametres of production, manufacturing quality and long-term strategy have been neglected or ignored. This situation may be treated as a missed opportunity for Greek design to learn and benefit from the Italian design scene.