The Cologni Foundation's University Chair in "Systems for Managing the Metiers d'Art"

The Cologni Foundation promotes, with the support of the Cariplo Foundation, a University Chair in "Systems for Managing the Metiers d'Art", which forms part of the Master's degree course in Economics and Managing Cultural and Performing Arts Assets run by the Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University of Milan. The course aims to examine the methods used for communicating, enhancing and managing Metiers d'Art of excellence.
The lecturer is Professor Paolo Dalla Sega, who is the creator of many cultural events and project consultant of special interdisciplinary events. During the course of the 2000 - 2001 Academic Year he established and directed the first course in higher education for Creators and Producers of Social and Cultural events at the Cattolica University of Milan. This course then went on to become the MEC, the University Masters in Devising and Planning Cultural events, which is now in its tenth year and which he continues to run. Also at the Cattolica University, he is a lecturer in Devising Cultural Events on the specialist degree course in Communication Theories and Techniques, and on the specialist interfaculty degree course in Managing artistic and cultural assets.

The RE.T.I.C.A. project

In 2010, the activities conducted by the Cologni Foundation within the framework of RE.T.I.C.A., a project co-financed by Lombardy's Regional Authorities as part of its Youth Policies and due to conclude in May, will continue.

Meetings with the maitres d'art: roundtables, guided tours, study days and seminars have all been scheduled with an aim to presenting to young people the most interesting professions in high level artistic craftsmanship. Practical demonstrations will be flanked by presentations of professional experiences and the opinions of journalists and experts in the field, so as to create an exchange which is open to contributions and questions from those attending.

Exhibitions following "Blog&Nuvole", an exhibition of the winning panels produced in the project by the same name held at the Colonne di San Lorenzo in Milan, and "Prima rata Toscanini" (an exhibition of original documents from the Visconti di Modrone archive concerning the theatre professions, with particular emphasis on the two performances of Carmen staged at La Scala in 1906 and 1913) held at the Cattolica University and then in the foyer of the La Scala theatre, the third exhibition organised by the Foundation is due to kick off on April 27th: an exhibition to be held at the Civica Scuola di Liuteria di Milano, featuring traditional Italian techniques for making mandolins, with particular emphasis on Lombard traditions.

Centre for documentation on the Metiers d'Art: acquisitions of materials to further add to the stocks of the Documentation Centre housed within the Città dei Mestieri e delle Professioni (City of Metiers and Professions) of Milan are continuing.

Cineforum: during the month of April 2010, at Cinema Gnomo in Milan, two Cineforum festivals will be staged by the Cologni Foundation. The theme will be the "Metiers d'Art in cinema", presented and commented by experts in the field, as well as "design", with a series of projections during the week of the Furniture Fair. The festivals will be held in conjunction with the Councillorship for Culture of Milan Municipality, whilst the artistic manager will be Paolo Dalla Sega, currently Professor on the Cologni Foundation's University Chair in Systems for Managing the Metiers d'Art held at the Cattolica University

The history of the Exhibition, and the Exhibition throughout history (1851-2011)

The "Arts and metiers" research centre of Cattolica University, directed by Professor Paolo Colombo, is conducting a new line of studies into the history of the Universal Expos, from their origins up to Shanghai 2010.
The research (the title of which is still provisional) will be divided into three parts: the first will involve the history of the Exhibition from its origins to the present. The second will present the institutions involved in these events, and the third will analyse the Expos' impact on history, showcasing the scientific discoveries, the evolution of its communication and marketing, and of course the professions involved in the Expo itself.
The research will be published and presented with the support of the Cariplo Foundation.

Portraits and self-portrait of Design

This new volume of the "Metiers d'Art" series published by Marsilio Editori is dedicated to the profession of the designer and the history of design, and is the work of one of the great protagonists of the field, the architect and designer Andrea Branzi.
The author compares three generations of designers with brief portraits that intertwine with autobiographical thoughts and stories.
The volume will be presented on April 19th 2010 at the Spazio Agorà premises of the Triennale di Milano exhibition centre.

Carte Award 2010: a competition for paper

The Cologni Foundation is working with Symbola – a Foundation for Italian quality and Comieco (the National Consortium for Recuperating and Recycling Cellulose-based Packaging) for this third edition of the Carte Award, a national competition dedicated to the careful and non-conventional use of paper.
The award aims to promote and enhance Italian talents in the field of paper: those that have managed to combine innovation with tradition and competitiveness with care for the environment and the local area.
The competition has been established in conjunction with Assocarta (the Paper Manufacturers' Association) and Assografici (Association of Graphic Designers), Confartigianato (the Confederation of Craftsmen) and the Italian Association of Printing and Paper Museums.

EMLUX - Executive Master in Luxury Goods Management

The Cologni Foundation has sponsored Emlux, a Master dedicated to training managers that go on to work in the luxury sector. The course is operative from 2010 at the Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University of Milan and has been established by Professor Roberta Crespi.
The course has been set up both with young people and professionals who want to develop their skills in this field in mind. It encompasses the features and dynamics of the market by covering areas such as finance, marketing and product strategy.