WEIL AM RHEIN.- In the second half of the 20th century, Italian design attained worldwide recognition. The Milanese photographers Aldo Ballo and Marirosa Toscani Ballo played a considerable part in this success – there is hardly a design icon from that era which was not photographed in their studio. The exquisitely precise, dispassionate shots of the Ballos emphasized the beauty and functionality of the objects. This helped to convey their message: in the context of discussion of the relationship between object and medium, these images have influenced our perception of Italian design. Today, the archive of Studio Ballo documents an important chapter in Italian design history, of which it forms a significant part. Presenting outstanding objects with the Ballos’ photographic interpretations, the exhibition presents this story as a discourse of empathy and interpretation, of the signs of the times and their transmission into the future – from Albini, Aulenti, Bellini and Castiglion