Triennale Milano and Fondation Cartier Honour Alessandro Mendini
Alessandro Mendini is a complex and exceptional figure within the international design, architecture, and art scene. This is now reaffirmed by an extraordinary exhibition set up at Triennale Milano. From April 13 to October 13, 2024, Triennale Milano and Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain present, as part of their cultural partnership, a tribute to Alessandro Mendini, an architect, designer, artist, and theorist who has marked the revolutions of thought and custom of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The retrospective, titled “I Am a Dragon: The True Story of Alessandro Mendini”, is realized in collaboration with the Archivio Alessandro Mendini and curated by Fulvio Irace, with the exhibition project signed by Pierre Charpin. The title of the exhibition is inspired by one of Mendini’s most emblematic self-portraits, where the designer depicts himself as a dragon, which best tells the uniqueness of his figure in the world of design. Mendini was not only an architect and designer but an all-round visionary who explored various forms of art. A prominent figure in the Italian postmodern landscape, he was among the founders and members of movements such as Global Tools in 1973 and Alchimia in 1979. With a constantly forward-looking gaze, Mendini revolutionized the Italian design scene by skillfully blending creativity and innovation. The Milan exhibition is structured into six thematic sections and features over 400 works from numerous international, public, and private collections. The opening was attended by numerous representatives of creativity, including architects, collectors, artists, designers, and cultural personalities. The evening had a suggestive conclusion in the Triennale Garden, transformed for the occasion into a dance floor.
Photos: Andrea Sgambelluri & Alessio Ammannati
