A neutral background and the line of a white pencil that suddenly comes to life. Simple, like all the most ingenious things. Thus was born one of the most iconic characters born from the mind of Osvaldo Cavandoli, illustrator, cartoonist, graphic designer and designer of La Linea, protagonist of many unforgettable advertisements of the Sixties and Seventies. Now, throughout 2022, a fundraiser has been activated to give new life to his studio, in via Prina 10, near Corso Sempione, in Milan. The goal is to transform it into a space open to all with creative workshops, meetings, guided tours, special screenings, theatrical performances, exhibitions and concerts, thus keeping alive the memory of an artist awarded all over the world and still in the hearts of millions of Italians. The crowdfunding campaign reaches 16,500 euros, a figure that would make the space accessible to everyone from 2023. The promoters of the initiative are the son Sergio, owner of the studio, the curator Anna Dusi, Andrijana Ružić, historian of the art of animation , Eric Rittatore, blogger expert in animation, Piero Tonin and Giovanni Beduschi, cartoonists and pupils of Cavandoli, and Le Compagnie Malviste, association for cultural and social promotion.
The walls of via Prina are not just any studio. In the 1950s, Osvaldo Cavandoli had created “Pupilandia” right there, the animation space specialized in advertising with puppets, which were broadcast in cinemas before the films began. But it is with the character of Mr. Linea, who made his debut on stage in 1969 within the Carosello of the Lagostina cookware company, that Cavandoli became famous and loved by the general public. In 1977 Carosello closes but Mr. Linea becomes the protagonist of a show of his own and his adventures are broadcast all over the world. Cavandoli also wins two European awards, the most prestigious in this field: one at the Annecy festival and the other in Zagreb. The designer died in his Milan in 2007 and ten years later the city will return some of his love to him by inscribing him in the famedio of the Monumental Cemetery, the pantheon dedicated to the memory of illustrious citizens.
If the studio could become a museum, not only Osvaldo Cavandoli’s tools of the trade would be enhanced, but also the archive of brochures, drafts, tables and cartoons, as well as unpublished films. An immense archive that in this way would not be lost and would perhaps find a new audience, also involving the new generations. «The studio needs constant maintenance – says his son Sergio – In addition, there are also some of my father’s work tools, such as the moviolone, which require specialized care. Not to mention the puppets, the posters, the props of Pupilandia and the dozens and dozens of films that should be transferred to more modern media ». The project managers want this artistic heritage to also involve the inhabitants of Municipality 8, the youth aggregation centers and the commercial activities of the area, also through specific artistic-theatrical workshops, designed for the most fragile people, including, for example , users of the psychosocial and socio-creative centers for the elderly in Milan. Alvise Campostrini, president of the Le Compagnie Malviste association, explains: «Making Osvaldo Cavandoli’s studio usable means returning a missing piece to the neighborhood, the city and its inhabitants. It could rediscover the ancient artisan vocation of an area which, in recent decades, has undergone a strong gentrification and which has seen a multiplication of commercial activities dedicated to food & drink.
The enhancement of this place of culture would increase the attractiveness of the neighborhood ». To encourage fundraising, online on the site of the crowdfunding platform La Rete del Dono, after the donation you will receive gadgets such as stickers, pins, shopping bags, La Linea “designer” block notes.