Aldo and Marirosa Ballo: masters of design photography

Aldo Ballo was born in Sciacca, Agrigento, in 1928. At 12 years old, he moved to Milan with his family, where he met Marirosa Toscani, daughter of a famous reporter for Corriere della Sera. Marirosa, still very young, works for the Rotofoto photo agency, managing it in the absence of her sick father. In 1951, Aldo left his architectural studies to join her in the world of photography and start working in the same agency.

In 1953, the couple abandoned Rotofoto, got married and opened the Ballo+Ballo studio in Brera. Initially, the work was of the most varied typology, from theater to reportage, but thanks to contacts with architects such as Gae Aulenti and Bruno Munari, the first design and advertising commissions arrived from brands such as Bassetti, Barilla, La Rinascente and Agip.

Having achieved its first professional successes, the studio moved to via Tristano Calco, becoming a point of reference for international designers such as Zanuso, Enzo Mari, Magistretti, Castiglioni, Albini, Sottsass and Sapper.

The studio specialized in photographs of design objects, imposing the “white limbo” style which became the signature of their studio and the iconic image of Italian design.

They began collaborating with important design and architecture magazines, including Abitare, Ottagono and Casa Vogue, where their work integrates perfectly with the editorial vision. After Aldo’s death in 1994 and the closure of Casa Vogue in 1995, Marirosa continued to take care of the Ballo studio and archive until 2002, then dedicating herself to her personal projects. Marirosa died in Milan in 2023.

The story of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo is a journey into design photography, characterized by passion, innovation and impeccable attention to detail, which has left an indelible mark on the world of Italian design and culture as a whole.

Portrait of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo