From 24 April 2026 to 27 September 2026, Olivetti. The Art of Communication, curated by Fiorella Bulegato and Giorgio Cedolin, will be open to the public, hosted in the magnificent frescoed rooms of Palazzo Sturm.

The exhibition has strong ties to the history and extensive permanent collections of the printing museum, Museo della Stampa Remondini. Located on the ground floor of the Palazzo, the museum showcases the printing and engraving of the famous family of graphic art entrepreneurs from Bassano del Grappa. It tells the story of the industrial phenomenon that crossed the borders of the Old Continent, and travelled all the way to the Americas. This is the historical and artistic background to the exhibition Olivetti. The Art of Communication. This unique experience illustrates Olivetti’s extraordinary legacy, and its communication strategies that successfully combined technological innovation, social vision and avant-garde approaches.

With around 130 objects, works and documents from private collections, Olivetti. The Art of Communication traces the history of visual communication at the company founded in Ivrea by Camillo Olivetti in 1908. The exhibition highlights what became known as the "Olivetti style", a style recognised internationally. It went far beyond advertising to involve every aspect of the company, from its products and premises to its relationship with culture and society.

The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections which explore five crucial aspects of the Olivetti model. The sections highlight the role of communication in the company’s narrative, in each product’s meticulous development, in the historic and pioneering multidisciplinary work of the Development and Advertising Department, and, finally, in the company’s social commitment to its employees and the local community. Unique for its time, Olivetti promoted a corporate model where innovation, social responsibility and attention to aesthetics were closely intertwined: communication became one of its most important tools, capable of merging different languages into a coherent style.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a prestigious publication from Ronzani Editore: Olivetti. Storie da una collezione from the free audio guide in Italian and English, created in collaboration with Audiogiro, which will accompany visitors in discovering the Olivetti experience through the extraordinary voice of Andrea Chimenti, a renowned Italian singer-songwriter and actor.
To access the audio guide content, visitors simply need their own smartphone and earphones: scan the QR Code available at the ticket offices of the Civic Museums of Bassano del Grappa and at the exhibition entrance, or save the link.

To further explore the themes of the exhibition, guided tours with fixed departure times will take place every Sunday, from April 26 to September 27, 2026, at 11:00 am, with an additional session scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026, at the same time.
In addition, as part of the exhibition programme, starting from April 29, 2026, Imprese di visione will present a series of talks exploring the exhibition’s themes from a contemporary perspective, highlighting their remarkable relevance today. The five events will be moderated by experts in technological innovation and cataloguing, brand identity, and the enhancement of local territories through communication strategies.

Finally, on the occasion of the exhibition Riccardo Guasco. Free Solo, a special masterclass titled Landscape: The Journey of Forms will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Aimed at students and enthusiasts of illustration, graphic design, and visual arts, this session - conceived and led by Riccardo Guasco - will engage participants in hands-on graphic design. In dialogue with the Olivetti model, the workshop will invite the public to deconstruct and reconstruct a landscape through the visual synthesis of the advertising poster.

Promoted and organised by Comune and Musei Civici di Bassano del Grappa with Ronzani Editore
Under the patronage of Regione del Veneto and Archivio Storico Olivetti di Ivrea
With the collaboration of Facci S.r.l.
Main Sponsor BVR Banca Veneto Centrale
Sponsor Fondazione Bonotto, F.lli Campagnolo S.p.A. and Höbe Pergh S.r.l.
Technical sponsors ALU S.r.l., Caseificio Castellan Urbano S.r.l. and BOTTEGA S.p.A. 
With the support of Rete Biblioteche Vicentine

For more information:
→ +39 0424 519940
→ palazzo.sturm@comune.bassano.vi.it 

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Cover image: Walter Ballmer, graphics for Olivetti, 1961–1970. Graphic reworking by Giorgio Cedolin.