Biographical notes
Rolando  Giovannini is a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He studied at the Technological Department of the “Ballardini” Art Institute, which he now directs, after which he graduated with full marks in Geology  then gained a diploma in Decoration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. In 1975 he qualified for the role of Researcher for CNR. He is Professor of Marketing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, Italy. He is a member of the Working Group of MIUR – Rome for reform of the Italian secondary school, art schools.
He was a member of the art movements “Nose” with Cesare Reggiani (1976-78) and “A Tempo e a Fuoco” curated by Vittorio Fagone (1982-1985), in which he conducted research into ceramics and neon. He has collaborated with Bruno Munari (“Giocare con l’Arte”, M.I.C. Faenza 1979-82), Paola Navone (1984), Sottsass Associati (1986), Alessandro Guerriero (1992), Marta Sansoni and Marco Zanini (1995), Alessandra Alberici and Giorgio Montanari (1997-2007), Tullio Mazzotti (1999-2009), Giovanni Levanti (2000-07), Franco Laera and Vanni Pasca (2003), Dante Donegani (2004), Massimo Iosa Ghini (2005), Sergio Calatroni, Ilaria De Palma (2007), Mario Pisani (2008) and Alessandro Castiglioni, Maria Rita Bentini, Veronica Dal Buono (2009), Muky, and Mara De Fanti (2010).
A theorist of design, he has written essays, articles and three books on the topic of design for use in schools. He founded the movement NeoCeramica (2007), created the collection of Tiles from the Second Half of the Twentieth Century at MIC Faenza (since 1978), and curated the scientific project for the Documentation Centre and Museum (Confindustria Ceramica, Sassuolo) and the Contemporary Section of the Spezzano Castle Museum in Fiorano. In August 2008 in Faenza he laid the foundations for MISA (Museo Istituto Statale Arte).
He has created objects for factories in Italy and Japan, while his public works include the interiors of the Shin-Kobe Subway-Metro station, Shinkansen Station in Kobe, Japan. Some of his works are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in the Foshan Creative Industry Park Investment & Management LTD, Foshan, China. He has been invited to “Modern Pot Art”, The 2010 Second China (Shanghai) International Modern Pot Art Biennial Exhibition, Shanghai, China (2010).  Art Director of the “Tile Fashion” magazine from 1993 to 2000, since 2000 he has been the editor of the Arte, Fashion e Design section of the monthly magazine C. I. of Il Sole 24 ore S.p.A. Since May 2010 he has been a member of the Order of Journalists and Political Journalists.

Biographical notes
Enzo Mari, born in Novara in 1932, works in various fields while maintaining his primary focus on the meanings of form and project. He began his research into visual perception in the 1950s when he was one of the representatives of Programmed and Kinetic Art. In parallel with his artistic activities based on individual formal research, he began working as a designer and has also been involved in graphic design and architecture.
He has taught at various European schools and universities.
He is a member of the “Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione” of Parma, the archives of which contain around nine thousand of his original drawings. He has received a number of recognitions for his research and design work, including four “Golden Compass” awards.
He has taken part in the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition and has held various exhibitions, including: Il lavoro al centro, Centre d’Art Santa Monica, Barcelona in 1999, subsequently transferred to the Triennale in Milan in 2000, and the large recently concluded exhibition entitled Enzo Mari, L’Arte del Design, Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin in 2008.
Samples of his works and design objects feature in important collections in museums such as MOMA in New York and the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
His work has been documented in numerous publications, including:
A. C. Quintavalle (editor), Enzo Mari, Salone delle Scuderie in Pilotta, Università di Parma, Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione, CSAC, Dipartimento Progetto, Parma 1983.
F. Burkhardt, J. Capella, F. Picchi Perché un libro su Enzo Mari, Federico Motta Editore, Milan 1997.
A. D’Avossa, F. Picchi, Enzo Mari. Il lavoro al centro, exhibition catalogue, Triennale di Milan (11/1999-1/2000), Electa, Milan 1999.
G. C. Bojani (editor), Enzo Mari. Tra arte del progetto e arte applicata, exhibition catalogue, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza (6/2000-11/2000), Studio 88 Editore, Faenza 2000.
P. G. Castagnoli, E. Regazzoni, Enzo Mari. L’arte del Design, exhibition catalogue edited by E. Mari, Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea GAM, Turin (10/2008-2/2009), Federico Motta Editore, Milan 2008.