Milan, 1 December 2021 – F.I.L.A. – Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini continues its path in support of events and initiatives aimed at enhancing culture and creative momentum. And, on the occasion of the fourth edition of Book Object – promoted by SBLU_spazioalbello and curated by Susanna Vallebona – in the prestigious headquarters of the Braidense National Library (from 2 December 2021 to 12 January 2022), it is the protagonist.

In fact, on the sidelines of the exhibition dedicated to the exhaustive vision of creativity associated with the book, the Braidense hosts 100x Bookmark which, to celebrate the Centenary of FILA (1920-2020), offers some historical examples of the company’s collection and sees artists, designers and students of the ISIA of Rome and Pordenone try their hand at making bookmarks dedicated to Weather, in all its meanings (from meteorology to the fourth dimension).

Among the textual elements of the book, the bookmark has the undoubted practical function of making us find the point where we stopped reading. On display, you will discover examples of different shapes and materials, such as the rectangular box, to be applied to the corners of the pages, or thin strips of paper or elaborate objects in metal or wood. A hundred bookmarks designed, among others by the calligrapher Alex Barocco, the designer Kuno Prey and the artist William Xerra, which become real works of art, curious and unconventional objects, essays of declared irony, in a rich alternation of interpretations: from the functionality of the design object, to the freedom of art, from the decorativism of craftsmanship to the amateur pleasure of doing with one’s own hands.

FILA and bookmarks
Since the 1920s, the bookmark has been a fundamental element of communication for FILA, a way to create a link between oneself and consumers. A simple and direct means to promote one’s activities (such as the first school competition held in 1927), to tell about products, or to pay homage to consumers with a useful, beautiful, collectible and – why not – educational object. For decades, FILA bookmarks have been an integral part – with their colors and their illustrations – of the packaging of the products most loved by Italians (primarily colored pencils and pencil), so much so that they have developed real thematic series, witnesses of almost a century of Italian history and, today, highly sought after by collectors.

The exhibition
That is why, among the objects that celebrated the company’s centenary, and exhibited in the exhibition, FILA has re-proposed two bookmarks inspired by two historic advertisements from the 1950s. The other bookmarks propose a journey that allows us to rediscover some aspects of Italian customs between the end of the 1930s and the 1970s. From the Sardinian of 1928 to the Bersagliere, one of the protagonists of the Soldati d’Italia series (1935 ca), from the road signs of the 60s-70s, from Capitan Spaventa to Tartaglia (Masks of Italy series 1950-55 ca), from the Monuments of Italy to Interesting Animals and others. A fascinating journey to discover how we were, how we communicated, how we told each other, all enclosed in a small but very precious object.