The exhibition "Enzo Mari," curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli and produced by Triennale Milano, makes its debut at the Design Museum in London. The exhibition, scheduled from March 29th to September 8th, 2024, represents the second international stop of this retrospective, following the success recorded at C-Mine in Genk, Belgium, in 2023.
Enzo Mari, one of the leading figures in Italian design, is thus celebrated with the first museum exhibition entirely dedicated to his work and thought in the United Kingdom. Through a wide selection of projects, models, drawings, and materials, mainly coming from the Mari Archive and other important cultural institutions, the exhibition offers an in-depth look at his career.
Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, emphasizes the importance of Enzo Mari as an innovator in the Italian design landscape, highlighting his contributions to the production process, the exploration of visual languages, and the theorization of design. The decision to present the exhibition in London represents a unique opportunity to spread Mari's legacy internationally.
Marco Sammicheli, Director of the Italian Design Museum at Triennale Milano, highlights the cross-cutting themes addressed by Enzo Mari throughout his career, such as object durability, accessibility, and the archetype of form. The exhibition at the Design Museum in London offers another opportunity to delve into the thinking of this prominent figure in the design world.
The exhibition, which includes over 250 Mari projects selected from nearly 2,000 created during his career, features a historical section curated by Francesca Giacomelli. Additionally, contributions from international artists and designers who paid tribute to Mari through installations and commissioned works have been included.
The Research Platforms, an integral part of the exhibition, provide a detailed overview of individual projects, illustrating the design evolution resulting from Mari's research methodology. The exhibition is complemented by a series of video interviews curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, delving into the ethical, theoretical, and design aspects of Enzo Mari's figure.
In conclusion, the exhibition on Enzo Mari at the Design Museum in London represents an unmissable opportunity to immerse oneself in the creative universe of one of the most influential Italian designers. His legacy continues to inspire and influence the world of contemporary design, confirming the relevance of his contributions.
Glossary:
- Mari Archive: Archive preserving materials related to the work and thought of Enzo Mari.
- Research Platforms: Exhibition elements that delve into individual projects and methodologies of Enzo Mari.
- Methodology: Systematic approach used in research and design.
- Retrospective: Exhibition that traces the entire career of an artist or designer.
- Museum Exhibition: Public presentation of artworks or designs in a museum setting.
#EnzoMari #DesignMuseumLondon #TriennaleMilano #ItalianDesign #DesignInnovation
Source: Triennale Milano Press Release.
Triennale Milano, the detail
The Enzo Mari exhibition produced by Triennale Milano to be presented at the Design Museum of London
March 29 – September 8, 2024
The exhibition Enzo Mari curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli produced by Triennale Milano – where it was held from October 17, 2020 to September 12, 2021 – will be hosted at the Design Museum in London from March 29 to September 8, 2024. This marks the second foreign stop of the retrospective, following that at C-Mine in Ghent, Belgium, where it was held from February 11 to May 9, 2023.
The retrospective is the first museum exhibition in Great Britain entirely devoted to the work and thought of Enzo Mari – the master Italian designer, artist, critic and theorist. The displays include projects, models, drawings and materials, many of which have never been exhibited before, mostly from the Mari Archive donated to CASVA – Centro di Alti Studi sulle Arti Visive del Comune di Milano (City of Milan’s Centre for Advanced Studies of Visual Arts) – but also from cultural institutions, private collectors, archives, companies and galleries.
Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, stated, “Enzo Mari was an extraordinary figure in Italian design in many respects: from innovation to production processes, visionary experimentation to visual language, design criticism and theory to the realization of works bridging art, design, graphics and architecture. We are pleased that the exhibition produced by Triennale is being presented abroad once again, in this case, in London, offering a new opportunity to disseminate and explore the projects and ideas of this towering figure of Italian design, a precursor of trends that are still absolutely contemporary today.”
Marco Sammicheli, Director of the Museo del Design Italiano of Triennale Milano, declared: “In his long career, Enzo Mari anticipated many themes related to the world of design and planning, including the durability and accessibility of objects, the philosophy of the production process and the archetype of form. The exhibition at the Design Museum of London is another opportunity to disseminate the thought of one of the most prominent figures in Italian design.”
The exhibition presents a selection of over 250 projects by Mari, considered among the most representative works of the nearly 2000 created over the course of his career. Adapted to the Design Museum spaces, the exhibition brings together, as it did in Milan and Genk, more than sixty years of Mari’s design activity, featuring a historical section, curated by Francesca Giacomelli, and a series of contributions from international artists and designers, including Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Mimmo Jodice, Dozie Kanu, Adrian Paci, Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Nanda Vigo, Danh Vō and Virgil Abloh. These artists have all paid tribute to Mari with installations and works commissioned for the Triennale exhibition, which will now be presented in London.
In addition, the exhibition features nineteen Research Platforms from the Triennale exhibition, providing insight into specific projects underlying Mari’s artistic vision and practice – his early investigation of perceptive ambiguity, his research on experimental production and his studies of mass production, to name a few. Altogether they illustrate the evolution in design resulting from the process and methodology used in all of Mari’s broad-ranging research.
Triennale Milano
The show concludes with a series of video interviews conducted by Hans Ulrich Obrist, shedding light on Mari’s constant ethical tension, his theoretical depth and his extraordinary design ability to shape the essential.
The Institutional Partners Lavazza Group and Salone del Mobile.Milano are again supporting Triennale Milano for this exhibition.
Information
- Enzo Mari curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli Exhibition produced by: Triennale Milano
- Curated by: Hans Ulrich Obrist and Francesca Giacomelli
- the Design Museum, London
- March 29 – September 8, 2024
- Press Contacts
- Triennale Milano Communications Micol Biassoni
- T. +39 345 1673267 press@triennale.org Alpha Kilo
- T. + 44 2077887712 triennale@alphakilocreative.com
- Triennale Milano
- viale Alemagna 6 20121 Milan
- T. +39 02 724341 www.triennale.org
