Museo del Design Italiano. Forme mobili

Triennale Milano presents the new exhibition layout of the Museo del Design Italiano, curated by Marco Sammicheli and with exhibition design by Luca Stoppini. Forme mobili brings together a series of new acquisitions, permanent loans, and in-depth juxtapositions exploring the multiple relationships between bodies, silhouettes, and movement.

The objects in the Triennale permanent collection have been organized in ten themed sections representing constants in the history of Italian design. Among the themes explored and promoted by the Museum are links to the mechanics of the human body, the inspiration of art and relationship with artisan know-how, the role and tradition of design, the creation of an international community, and the construction of a production sector that has given rise to and sustained the "Made In Italy" brand.

Each section is linked to the fashion world on the basis of compositional similarities between forms, materials, historical periods, and design ideas. In addition to fashion, the Museo del Design Italiano also includes two new areas of research and dissemination: nautical design, represented by drawings and models, and illustration, which includes projects linked to satire, newspaper and magazine design, and graphic art.
Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, explains, "Today, we are presenting the result of a major research and acquisition process carried out by the Triennale over the course of the past six years. This has involved the creation of various collections showcasing the work of key figures in Italian art and design. As in all of the Triennale's activities, we have adopted a cross- and multi- disciplinary approach, based on a dialogue between expressive languages and disciplines. Our holdings have been enhanced thanks to a series of design- oriented studies and promotional activities that have also culminated in exhibitions like the cycle dedicated to Ettore Sottsass or exhibits on Carlo Mollino and Alberto Meda."

Marco Sammicheli, Director of the Museo del Design Italiano di Triennale Milano, points out, "As its title suggests, the Museum's new exhibition layout focuses on the relationship between design and movement over time. This reflection unfolds through the relationship linking the concept of abito (clothing), intended as something meeting specific personal needs, abitudine (habit), that is, the expression and practice of a social custom, and abitacolo (cabin), where these elements exist, occupying both public and private spaces. We have used this exhibition layout to create a dialogue between various design disciplines, which today, more than ever, have become increasingly interconnected in terms of contents, messages, principles of inspiration, and production practices, with forms of mutual influence."

Forme mobili allows us to showcase and introduce to the public some of our recent acquisitions, which have led to the creation of new collections within the Triennale permanent holdings, including collections dedicated to Antonio Citterio, Carla Crosta, Giorgio Forattini, Alberto Meda, Luigi Molinis, Carlo
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Mollino, Cinzia Ruggeri, Carlo Scarpa, Ettore Sottsass, Saul Steinberg, and Andrea Vallicelli.
Luca Stoppini, designer of the new exhibition pathway, explains, "This exhibition layout is is the ideal continuation of Cuore, the historic archive and study centre inaugurated by Triennale in February 2024. The accessible archives, display of new acquisitions, and dialogue between disciplines are represented by the pathway through the repository occupying the Museum spaces."

The exhibition layout becomes an infrastructure where references bounce, ideas flow, and hypotheses are reflected – a concept evoking work trajectories and showcasing research flows. The repository, already housing hundreds of records organized in boxes and on shelves, offers a unique experience of the Museum. In the ideal transition from spaces dedicated to creation to those designed for research and dissemination, the disordered aesthetics of the studio, the kaleidoscopic mirrors of an atelier, and the chaotic atmosphere of an editorial office provide visitors with a rich, connection-filled experience.
The Curva space displays over two hundred objects from the Triennale collection, arranged on custom-made shelves and mobile cases extending through the entire length of the Museum. The exhibition pathway highlights the connections and synergy between the various elements: the evolution of the concept of fashion over time, the relationship between function and clothing, the link between the representation and emancipation of the individual.... read the rest of the article»