UFO (Florence)

UFO was a design and architectural group founded in Florence, Italy, active between 1967 - 1978.[1] A major part of the Radical architecture and design movement of the late 1960s, they studied under Umberto Eco at the University of Florence. Fellow alumni included the founders of Superstudio and Archizoom Associati.[2]

UFO was founded in the lead up to the 1968 movement in Italy in which students of working backgrounds tried to change Italy's traditional capitalist and patriarchal society through direct action, such as occupying universities. Amongst this period of social upheaval, UFO aimed to drive social change through architecture and ‘transform the practice of architecture into an event itself’ (Gianni Pettena).[3] Their occupation of the Architectural Department at Florence University, beginning in February 1968, was more than political. The faculty provided a workshop for prototypes of objects that the group deployed onto the streets of Florence,[2] as well as exchanging ideas with fellow students.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Navone, Paola; Orlandoni, Bruno (1974). Architettura 'radicale'. Italy: Casabella. p. 32.
  3. ^ "Gianni Pettena / UFO". CASA MASACCIO ARTE CONTEMPORANEA (in Italian). 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  4. ^ Eco, Umberto (1977). Dalla periferia dell'impero. Italy: Bompiani. p. 300.