Bruno Munari (1907–1998) devoted much of his research to a simple yet radical question: how do objects communicate even before they are rationally understood?
In his work, Munari shifts attention from content to the way an object is perceived, explored, and used by the body. Shape, materials, weight, texture, and sequence guide experience before any conceptual or linguistic interpretation, showing that perceiving is already a form of understanding.
His Work
The Prelibri are a series of small books designed for children who cannot yet read: they contain neither words nor traditional narrative images, but use different materials, tactile surfaces, cuts, holes, and transparencies. Each book invites touching, flipping, folding, and observing.
“They should give the feeling that the books are actually made this way and contain surprises. Culture indeed comes from surprises, that is, from things previously unknown” (Munari).
The meaning does not arise from written content but from the very act of flipping through, from the rhythm of the pages, the color variations, and the weight of the paper. The book communicates through direct experience.
In the Libri illeggibili, Munari removes text entirely to focus on the material elements of the book. Shape, color, sequence, and texture become perceptual messages, teaching that object communication can occur without words.
The Tactile Laboratories complete this vision: experiences where material qualities guide action and understanding without the need for instructions or pre-defined functions.
These examples show how objects can educate perception: surfaces invite exploration, forms suggest action. Objects do not require instructions because their use is embedded in their structure. Munari demonstrates that communicating does not mean transmitting fixed content, but opening possibilities for experience: the sign becomes experience, and the body becomes the primary recipient of meaning.
Sources:
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). I Prelibri di Bruno Munari.
• Pastore, Z. (2019). Prelibri di Bruno Munari: How They Are Used and What They Are For. Nostrofiglio.
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). The Unreadable Book.
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). Bruno Munari’s Tactile Workshops.
• Fois, E. (2021). Bruno Munari, the Poet of Design Who Taught to See with New Eyes. DEESUP Magazine.
• Fabbri, M. (2021). Munari and the Perception of Objects. Disegno, Unione Italiana Disegno.
