Archivio eventi
ORIGIN OF THE FOUNDATION
FORUM OMEGNA has been built upon the former ironworks “COBIANCHI”, whose blast furnaces were employed in the melting of cast iron. The ironworks’ old vault, its bearing walls as well as the travelling crane and its storage hoppers have all been preserved.
Ironworks “Cobianchi” has been Omegna’s first industrial complex until 1967 and its activity stopped during the 80’s, when the factory was closed down.
In 1995 Omegna’s municipal administration started the rebuilding of the old ironworks, laying the foundations for the present Forum.
FORUM OMEGNA was born in 1998, thanks to the contribution from the European Union and the commitment of citizens. It is run by Omegna’s “Fondazione Museo Arti e Industria”, which also manages “Parco della Fantasia Gianni Rodari”. The Forum supports and develops the historical research on local industrialization processes and promotes the preservation of the territory's industrial legacy and identity.
In addition to the permanent collection, exhibitions concerning Omegna’s industrial background, its territory and its cultural initiatives are held on a regular basis at the Forum.
The Forum is a place where the numerous activities developed by “Spazio CO-WORKING” and “Parco della Fantasia” offer educational opportunities to young professionals and children.
Since 1998, FORUM OMEGNA hosts a vast collection of objects that have influenced the household industry in Italy and worldwide, displaying products by Alessi, Calderoni, Girmi, Lagostina, La Nuova Faro, Irmel, Tracanzan and Piazza, which made Omegna the Italian capital of the production of coffee makers, pots and all objects which revolutionized the Italian and world cuisine culture.
The Permanent Collection revisits Omegna’s industrial history, from its beginning in the 19thcentury until today. Explanatory boards and memorable advertising campaigns accompany the items on display, adding further details to the factories’ fascinating stories.
The pride of the collection is the Bialetti Moka Express created by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, invention which changed the way in which Italians made coffee at home. Renato Bialetti, Alfonso's son, joins the company in 1946 and he is the first to realise the importance of adversiting, wheter it be billboards at the roadside or advertisment in newspaper. In collaboration with Orsini advertising agency in Novara he comes up with idea of the "little mustachioed man". This advertising Bialetti Moka Express did become the one of the legendary figures of Italian advertising in the 1950s.
An element of the 1960 cult was the design of the Lagostina pressure cooker, and no less famous and sought after as a masterpiece of applied art are ranges Calderoni and Alessi, who revolutionized the styles of household utensils thanks to the work of acclaimed designers such as Achille Castiglioni Aldo Rossi, Richard Sapper, Michael Graves, Alessandro Mendini and Ettore Sottsass. The Region Cusio is the place in which they were written pages of Italian design history of the 20th century.
AREAS OF ACTIVITY
The Foundation Forum for the Arts and Industry of Omegna, is a multi-proposal that can be considered is the center for research and the preservation of historical memory in the industry Cusio, is the center for the development and enhancement of active enterprises district of cooking.
The Forum is divided into several sections.
The center organizes conferences:
- Seminars, training courses and events.
The center of brand promotion runs:
- Temporary exhibitions dedicated to the historyand industrial enterprises of metal kitchen active in the District, but also other issues related to economic development and community.
- Brand Promotion for SMEs and industries that operate in the District (joint communication campaigns; store coupon).
- Publication and research center.
SERVICES:
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Promotion of the brand: Archive industrial district;
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Promotion of the brand: the exposure and retail point of sale of the products in the district of the kitchen;
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Networking Companies: presentation entrepreneurs / business case histories / processes / products;
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Networking Companies: round tables / conferences on the general system of industrial relations;
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Career counseling and guidance for entrepreneurship in Universities and high school students;
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Business incubation;
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Networking and joint projects with institutions, confederations, services for SMEs;
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Tourism industry;
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Publications and research.
Promotion of the brand: Archive industrial district
The archive contains a vast collection of material that documents the history of the main companies, their technological and organizational changes, the market, the social structure of their workforce, and the way in which local businesses interact with the city and the territory . The documents section has about 3,500 files and records relating to the various functions and corporate locations: cards from the board of directors and executive staff, legal documents, documents of the various divisions of management, documentation related to equipment, production, administration, patents, studies and programs research, large-scale projects and staff.
Promotion of the brand: the exposure and retail point of sale of the products in the district of the kitchen
Exhibition halls that contain the Museum Permanent Collection of the historical objects and visual materials of Cusio for the production of metal dishes, like the first Bialetti coffee maker and Lagostina pressure cooker; and also the design of new products / patents developed by new and traditional businesses that operate in the industrial district.
Retail / promotion of the production of innovative firms in the district.
The activities of the Museum aims to promote real products of the kitchen next to the neighborhood, presenting examples of manufacturing technologies and production methods, machinery and equipment, documents and reports of the process, the designs, the results of research activities, budgets and other accounting records, letters and technical reports
Networking Companies: presentation entrepreneurs / business case histories / processes / products
The exhibits are designed to promote the innovation performance of firms in the district or to the research base of innovative processes.
In the spotlight not only the product, but also the production and producers, that body of expertise and know-how that is located at the base of the efforts of companies. Monitoring of efforts to achieve strong financial results, sales and communication of business: marketing, advertising, campaigns that describe a product or service and turn it into an object of consumption.
Networking Companies: round tables / conferences on the general system of industrial relations
Events targeted to the general system of industrial relations, particularly with regard to issues of society and culture in the workplace, cases of labor relations and conflict, and the same evolution of the links between entrepreneurs, executive staff and middle management and power skilled labor, which together constitutes the real social power industry, the element that distinguishes rispettogli others, defines its history and its identity, and gives rise to a specific corporate culture as an important part of a culture more general.
Career counseling and guidance for entrepreneurship in Universities and high school students
Clusters of SMEs are of increasing strategic importance and the relationship between company workers and scholars have been promoted from the outset of the Foundation. In this way, the dialogue not only with the business community on this subject, but also with SMEs and industrial districts has become stable, deep and wide.
Business incubation
The Foundation Forum Museum of Art and Industry of Omega (VB), Italy, has already committed departing to encourage young people to lead small and medium-sized enterprises; in collaboration with a wide range of public and private entities. The foundation opened the first co-working space in the province of Verbania, founded / run jointly with Aurive Cooperative, to promote and support entrepreneurship in the local system.
The "Coworking" offers space and logistics services (such as internet connections, data communications infrastructure, general services, etc.) and relational capital through direct links to local economic and political institutions and individual actors to young start-ups.
The Foundation Forum, in collaboration with the Cooperative social Aurive not contribute financially to the start-up housed, but actively promotes and facilitates contacts and funding processes with professional investors. Since July 2011 and November 2012 the activities and projects coworking lead to the start up of 7 new small businesses run by young entrepreneurs with less than 35 years, and other young entrepreneurs are now supported in developing their new business.
The Foundation through the Coworking does not focus on a specific industry or field of technology, but is committed to supporting excellence in the many disciplines of the territory.
At present, according to the trends of the local system, we have worked mainly in the following areas:
-To promote the development of tourism businesses in our rural area; spreading good practice in the development of sustainable tourism and destination;
- To help artists to organize exhibitions; find foundations to produce their projects, collaborate with the curators, institutions, galleries, museums, record companies, publishers;
-To help the artisans to get on the road to writing, long-term profitability.
Networking and joint projects with institutions, confederations, services for SMEs
The Foundation has steadily improved the number of joint projects and events shared with the District Crafts, Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Verbania, as well as with other relevant non-profit organizations.
In fact, the project "Lake Maggiore Home", an initiative launched by in 2008, is supported by the Piedmont Region, managed in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of the VCO, confederations of entrepreneurs and local associations, aims to promote the domestic and international markets the products of the district, reinforcing the brand "Lago Maggiore household", specifically to improve the competitiveness of our products and to enhance the culture, the tradition of production.
Tourism industry
The Foundation Forum is developing projects in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Verbania and partnership "Gal Lakes And Mountains" VCO and Living Museum Cusius to create tourism products national / transnational based on local cultural and industrial heritage. Thanks to the cooperation between GAL and Forum Foundation was born the project about turistic start-up www.becomingossola.com.
In particular, some feasibility studies are currently in progress and some town twinning were presented within the program Europe for Citizens to contribute to the economic regeneration and job / company after the decline of industrial regions, through projects of interregional and transnational cooperation in the tourism sector.
Pubblications and research
The center of research and publications of the Foundation acquires catalogs and selected articles produced by companies operating in the district of Cusio, such as Alessi, Bialetti, Calderoni, Lagostina, Square and many other local businesses.
