MILAN MUSEUMS 2024: A NEW LENS OF EXPERIENCING THE PAST AND EVOLVING FUTURE

MILAN MUSEUMS 2024: A NEW LENS OF EXPERIENCING THE PAST AND EVOLVING FUTURE — PART II

In our childhood, museum visits were incredible adventures, often filled with excitement and curiosity of looking at the artefacts from the bygone era. But as we matured and our understanding of the world expanded, these spaces took on a new significance, becoming revered institutions of learning and culture. However, this shift often rendered them as intimidating and exclusive.

Today, many museums are redefining themselves once again, and striving to shed their elitist image by embracing innovation and interaction. They are making efforts to become welcoming spaces for everyone, regardless of inclination towards art and culture.

Here are some noteworthy museums that are transforming the museum-going experience into something more inclusive and engaging:

Fondazione Prada

Fondazione Prada, since 1993, as a cultural institution is bringing to light the changes in our life world via the medium of art. They aim to investigate the variety and complexity of human culture by comissioning ambitious projects, exhibitions, conferences and other initiatives by collaborating with various savants of the industry, in Milan, Venice and Tokyo, to foster a dialogue with audiences world over.

Fondazione Prada has dedicated their ongoing exhibition to the Italian artist Pino Pascali (1935-1968). His sculptural production has captivated audiences and inspired generations of artists for over fifty years. He uses natural elements in his work like earth and water alongside construction materials such as eternit and other recycled materials in his stage elements to create his stage elements.The exhibition, being held from March 28 to September 23, 2024 is divided into four sections, is spread across three buildings at the Milan venue: the Podium, the North gallery, and the South gallery. It features forty-nine works by Pascali from Italian and international museums and prestigious private collections, nine works by post-war artists, and a selection of photographs and a video portraying Pascali with his creations. This exhibition pays homage to an artist par excellence.

In another exhibition, Fondazione Prada, is collaborating with Prada Aoyama to showcase Miranda July: Family in Tokyo from May 9 to August 26, 2024. July, inherently a filmmaker, writer and artist from Los Angeles, in this project collaborates with 7 strangers for a year over instagram where the strangers gave her reaction videos on her prompts which she collated to produce a a multi-channel video installation titled F.A.M.I.L.Y. (Falling Apart Meanwhile I Love You). Curated by Mia Locks, this work explores fragile layers of intimacy and boundaries in the world of social media. Her other solo exhibition titled Miranda July: New Society is currently on display at Osservatorio Fondazione Prada in Milan until October 14, 2024. It showcases July’s 30 year career including her short films, performances, and installations, highlighting her latest work, FAMILY. The film program includes her three feature films — Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), The Future (2011), and Kajillionaire (2020) — along with a selection of short films and previously unreleased works.

ADI Design Museum

The ADI Design Museum, since 2001 has been instrumental in preserving art that forms an inherent part of Italy’s cultural legacy. It showcases its permanent collection and also hosts various temporary exhibitions and public events to promote design culture both nationally and internationally. 2024 seems to be a busy year for ADI Design as they are featuring several exhibitions. Feeling Good – Caimi, Design for the Future, is a design reform project curated by Aldo Colonetti and Valentina Fisichella which showcases the evolution of Caimi’s working methods over its 75-year history. Other notable exhibits include Ottchil Design – OD / KOREA, curated by DBEW, spotlights the connection between Italian and Korean design. Edra – L’attimo prima, curated by Silvana Annicchiarico, showcases Francesco Binfaré’s ingenuity by highlighting the enduring synergy between the designer and the Edra brand. Other exhibitions include China & Design | Zona Sarpi, Listen – Think – Do, curated by Arch. Massimiliano Mandarini, and AD Aquam by Rubinetterie Treemme.

Origin of Simplicity: 20 Visions of Japanese Design needs special mention. This exhibit, curated by Rossella Menegazzo with design by Kenya Hara displayed 150 works of exquisite contemporary art craftsmanship of Japan. Other partners included UNIQLO and NTT DATA. Exhibited between March 23rd to June 9th, 2024, it provided the visitors a comprehensive exploration of the concept of simplicity, interpreted through various philosophical lenses such as emptiness (ku), space or silence (ma), poverty (wabi), and time-worn beauty (sabi), contrasting with Western rationality. These pieces highlight the craftsmanship and techniques passed down through generations, using natural materials like wood, paper, metal, ceramic, and textiles. The exhibition emphasised the fluid boundary between design and art, rooted in a deep connection to nature and Shinto animistic thought. The exhibition’s layout, envisioned as a forest path, grouped objects with shared qualities, creating a thematic journey through the concept of simplicity. The display included works by both renowned and emerging designers, illustrating the enduring craftsmanship that defines Japanese design. Produced by ADI Design Museum with The Museum Box, this exhibition also highlighted the relationship between Japanese design and Made in Italy, showcasing collaborations between iconic Italian brands and Japanese designers awarded by the Compasso d’Oro. The exhibition was an exploration of design that is simple and qualitatively superior.

Another exhibition DesignUP — Solutions of Continuity offers a new thematic exploration of the permanent collection of the Compasso d’Oro award; presenting a contextual analysis of Italian design, highlighting the social, cultural, and technical phenomenology that underpins its success. The exhibition brings to light the design culture influences behind the novel characteristics of ‘Made in Italy’ design and humanises the mass production processes,enabling Italian products to secure a position in the high-end segment of international markets.

These museums are an epitome of progress with vitality, consistently inspiring awe in visitors with their easily comprehensible presentations of knowledge. The exhibition speaks to the audience with the easiness of a friend, almost creating a solemn bond that transforms the museum visiting experience into anything but monotonous.