The magic of the Italian design renaissance has captured the interest of curators, writers, and scholars in recent years. ‘The Glamour of Italian Fashion’ at the V & A; the remarkable analysis ‘Made in Italy: Rethinking a Century of Italian Design’ by Grace Lees-Maffei and Kjetil Fallan, published in 2014; and the comprehensive exhibition ‘Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932-1947,’ featured by the Met, are just three of the ambitious and successful attempts to dig into the story that brought Italy to the forefront of the design world stage. Now, the First Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville opens a show. Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945-1975,’ curated by automotive authority Ken Gross, an exhibition celebrating the visual dynamism and spirit of innovation of this aspect of Italian design. Including vehicles by Alfa Romeo, Bizzarrini, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maserati, the show comes to present the striking and streamlined Italian design language that propelled the country to the forefront of automotive design internationally.
1952 Lancia B52 Aurelia
1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic
1954 BAT 7
1956 Maserati A6G 2000
1961 Ferrari 400SA
1963 ATS 2500