Heide Museum of Modern Art has unveiled a new exhibition showcasing many of the most significant achievements in the history of twentieth-century Italian design, presented by Italian civil engineering group Webuild and supported by the Italian Australian Foundation and John and Rose Downer Foundation.

Drawn from public and private collections and leading design brands, the objects in the exhibition include vintage and re-editioned classic chairs and furniture, lighting, espresso machines, typewriters and examples of landmark transport designs. Through recognisable and rare pieces, the exhibition explores the breadth of materials and manufacturers, and diverse approaches to form and function adopted by Italian designers in a rapidly evolving social and industrial landscape. Highlights include Gio Ponti’s ground-breaking Superleggera chair, a Vespa GS 150 and 1957 Fiat Nuova 500, Joe Colombo’s futuristic Elda chair of 1963, a gallery dedicated to work of the recently deceased visionary designer Gaetano Pesce, and an array of playful postmodern creations by Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis group.