In this ninth issue, and the first since being awarded the Compasso d’Oro in May, INVENTARIO continues its wide-ranging exploration into design culture in a close dialogue between design, art and architecture, true to its multi-disciplinary approach.

The cover of this issue is dedicated to a natural, multifaceted yet essential element: the leaf. An element that has conquered the creativity of many designers and artists, who have been able to rework its shapes, colours and functions into the most diverse design objects, pieces of furniture and works of art. Inside INVENTARIO, we find features that organise the flow of thoughts, objects and images. In this issue, Mariana Siracusa tells us about the relationship between art and architecture in the work of Fred Sandback, Massimo Curzi introduces us to “Personal inventory” in the fascinating work of A G Fronzoni; Cristina Miglio writes about a “Myths of Today”, Shiro Kuramata, while Matteo Pirola tells us about Alessandro Mendini’s “Normal wonders”; Giulio Iacchetti’s “Short Notes” sheds light on an discreet multifunction object like the hanger; in “Temporalia” Giacinto di Pietrantonio researches the design of an iconic character, Pinocchio, a work of craftsmanship in itself, and Michele Calzavara delves into the work of a “creossover architect”, Jürgen Mayer H.

All of the contributors to Inventario 09: Mariana Siracusa on Fred Sandback, Massimo Curzi on A G Fronzoni, Francesco Garutti on “Kunsthalle Bern, 1992” by Michael Asher, Paolo Bocchi on water, Cristina Miglio on Shiro Kuramata, dialogue between Marco Romanelli and Johanna Grawunder, Matteo Pirola on Alessandro Mendini, Giulio Iacchetti on the hanger, Daniele Greppi on Domenico Busnelli’s spinning tops, Giacinto di Pietrantonio on Pinocchio, Martina Sanzarello on the “Judicious pairings”, Daniele Lupo and Angelika Burtscher in conversation with Manuel Raeder, Manolo De Giorgi on five architectural plants and Michele Calzavara on J. Mayer H.

Beppe Finessi (1966), architect, is involved in education, criticism and research. He is involved through exhibitions and publications in promoting the work of the great masters of Italian design and new exponents on the international scene. Since 2010 he has been director of “Inventario. Everything is a Project”.