Design Convivio at ADI Design Museum

From February 17 to March 6 2024

The image illustrates an exhibition installation titled "DESIGN Convivio." The scene is dominated by a long, backlit white table, upon which various architectural models and red three-dimensional words, such as "INDUSTRIA" (Industry) and "METODO" (Method), are arranged. Placed along the sides of the table are life-size cardboard cutouts depicting historical figures from the fields of design and architecture in black and white, creating the illusion of a banquet or a convivial gathering among masters of the industry. In the background, a large vertical panel displays a portrait of a man and a yellow object shaped like a compass or square. The surrounding environment features high ceilings with industrial structures and walls clad in wooden panels, typical of a contemporary museum or exhibition gallery space.

Design Convivio, the installation inaugurated in October 2023 at the Historical Library of the Politecnico di Milano, lands at the ADI Design Museum. An inevitable stop that pays tribute to the special bond between the eight masters on display and the Association for Industrial Design. There are many connections that have linked ADI and the Compasso d'Oro to the vicissitudes of the chosen protagonists, recalling the central role played by the Association in shaping and fostering the identity of the Italian design system and its progressive international recognition.

The exhibition stages an imaginary "first supper" among eight protagonists of Italian design history: Gio Ponti, Franco Albini, Carlo De Carli, Marco Zanuso, Achille Castiglioni, Vittoriano Viganò, Alberto Rosselli, and Raffaella Crespi, all graduates of Politecnico and later Full Professors at the same university.

The image captures a close-up detail of the "DESIGN Convivio" installation, featuring a long, backlit white table that serves as a display surface for black graphics simulating place settings with the names of famous designers like Gio Ponti, silhouettes of golden cutlery, and theoretical quotes on design. On the surface, three-dimensional elements stand out, such as the raised red word "METODO" and grey architectural models featuring conceptual terms like "Dettaglio" and "Arte," while in the background, black-and-white silhouettes of design masters appear to ideally participate in the banquet alongside a luminous panel displaying technical sketches of automobiles.
The image shows a close-up detail of the exhibition surface from the "DESIGN Convivio" installation. The white, backlit surface is decorated with a black graphic representing a place setting, associated with the name of the architect and designer Carlo De Carli. On top of the drawing of a dinner plate lie a real black fork and knife, which cross three white three-dimensional raised words: "Spirituale" (Spiritual), "Educazione" (Education), and "Vita" (Life). Next to the composition, a quote by De Carli is printed in two languages: "Io voglio andare al di là della regola" and "I want to go beyond the rule". In the top left corner, other red architectural elements are partially visible, consistent with the visual language of the entire exhibition dedicated to the dialogue between great design masters.

The set design is conceived and designed by Ico Migliore, Associate Professor of Design Department who also created the illustrations of the eight masters. It visualizes a table set with words, sounds, images, and references to the projects of the protagonists

Some keywords, suspended and luminous, frequently recur in the dialogues of the protagonists, and even today, these words constitute the language of the design discipline from which the vision for creating a course of study entirely dedicated to design.

The image captures a detail of the "DESIGN Convivio" installation, featuring a backlit white table serving as a display surface. In the foreground, a human hand is extended toward the surface, with the index finger poised to press a circular interactive button. The table displays several text labels in Italian and English, associated with brown circles reading "Press here / Premi qui": labels read "ABITARE / Living", "DESIGN / Design" (which the action focuses on), and "INSEGNAMENTO / Teaching". On the lower part of the table, the partial text "GN Convivio" is prominently displayed in golden letters, completing the installation's title. The atmosphere suggests an interactive and participatory exhibition where the public is invited to engage with the content.
The image offers a further perspective of the "DESIGN Convivio" installation, focusing on a different section of the long, backlit white table. On the surface, new three-dimensional words in red are visible, such as "INDUSTRIA" (Industry) and "INSEGNA" (Teaching), surrounded by grey architectural models and descriptive texts arranged radially to simulate place settings. In the background, the black-and-white cardboard cutouts of design masters, including Achille Castiglioni on the left, appear to oversee the table. A vertical luminous panel completes the composition, showing an image of a modern red armchair accompanied by a quote in English that critically reflects on the logic of consumerism. The setup confirms its narrative character, combining physical objects, historical icons, and theoretical reflections within a clean, industrial exhibition environment.

The exhibition is curated by Giampiero Bosoni and Paola Bertola, Full Professors of the Department of Design.
The dialogues are curated by writer Gianni Biondillo and actress and director Paola Albini, inspired by original writings and quotes from the eight characters selected by Giampiero Bosoni and Marta Elisa Cecchi.

Design Convivio is part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary since the establishment of the first Industrial Design Degree program at the Polytechnic University of Milan. It is a part of the broader Design Philology project, a historical and philological research that narrates the evolution of the design culture at the Politecnico di Milano starting from the first course in Artistic Design for Industry in 1963.

Visit the Design Philology platform, its interactive timeline, and its narrative pathways.

To book a guided tour of the exhibition, write an email to comunicazione-design@polimi.it

The image shows a bird's-eye view of the "DESIGN Convivio" installation, set within a striking historical library characterized by tall wooden bookshelves and an upper gallery with a metal railing. In the center of the room, which features a classic herringbone parquet floor, stands the long, backlit white exhibition table displaying the red and grey architectural models and circular graphics seen in previous details. Arranged around the table are the cardboard cutouts of design masters, creating the effect of an intellectual banquet. On the wooden floor, golden light projections highlight keywords such as "Innovazione" (Innovation) and "Abitare" (Living), guiding the visitors' conceptual journey. The juxtaposition of the library's classical architecture and the installation's contemporary design emphasizes the dialogue between historical memory and future research, a central theme of the exhibition.

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