Autoprogettazione? – Enzo Mari

Autoprogettazione? is a publication by Enzo Mari under Corraini Edizioni that revisits the project originally developed in 1974 as an experiment in self-construction and design education. Conceived as both a practical tool and a critical statement, the book provides technical drawings and instructions for building furniture using standard timber boards and basic assembly methods. The project includes designs for a chair, table, wardrobe, bed, and other domestic objects, encouraging direct engagement with construction processes.

Rather than presenting furniture as a finished product, Mari proposes design as a method of understanding production. Through the act of building, users are invited to analyze proportions, structures, materials, and manufacturing logic. The project challenges conventional relationships between designer, industry, and consumer, positioning construction as a form of knowledge acquisition.

This edition expands on the original Proposta per un’autoprogettazione, published by Centro Duchamp in conjunction with an exhibition at Galleria Milano. Alongside Mari’s texts, the volume includes documentation generated by the project’s initial release, including letters, articles, comments, photographs, drawings, and reflections on the continued relevance of self-design within contemporary design culture.

More than a manual, Autoprogettazione? remains a reference in the history of radical Italian design, connecting education, production, and participation through a reproducible system of open construction.

/ 24 × 16,5 cm
/ 62 pages
/ English and Italian

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