Founded in 1973, the Italian art publisher Corraini has developed a cross-disciplinary publishing practice spanning illustration, design, architecture, photography, and children’s literature. Among its history, the relationship with designer Bruno Munari stands out in particular, resulting in a wide range of influential publications.
After the birth of his son Alberto, Munari began work on the historic series Libri del ’45. Through die-cuts, holes, and large, elegant illustrations, the books invite readers into a playful journey of discovery and exploration, allowing them to experience the magic of paper. This series is still regarded today as an outstanding example of book design and construction. Across nine volumes—uniform in format yet each telling a different story—narrative and technical invention proceed hand in hand. Even as the first edition celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025, the series continues to be recognized as a timeless classic that has never lost its innovative power.
This exhibition takes as its starting point the concepts of the book-object, play, and interaction—principles that Munari consistently pursued in his experiments with children’s books—and offers visitors a path of exploration that allows them to physically step inside the stories. From Toc-toc to Mai contenti, enlarged reproductions of the books and their parts enable both adults and children to lift trapdoors, open doors and windows behind which animals and characters of all kinds are hidden, and from there imagine new stories.
In conjunction with this exhibition, another show tracing the history of Corraini will also be presented.
Cooperation: Corraini Edizioni
All images: Courtesy of Corraini Edizioni
Related events
Talk Event “Deconstruct, Play, Design: Munari and Corraini Edizioni” Francesco Costa
Date & Time: Friday, December 12, 2025 13:00-14:00 (Reception opens at 12:45)
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo / PLAYGROUND (B2F)