Si può ripercorrere tutta la carriera del mitico designer Alessandro Mendini in questa mostra a Verbania
A new exhibition titled "Alessandro Mendini. COSE. Stanze come mondi" has opened at Villa Giulia in Verbania, Italy, running until September 27. Curated by art historian Loredana Parmesani, the show condenses the career of legendary designer Alessandro Mendini (1931–2019) into seven rooms, each centered on one of his iconic objects—such as the Poltrona di Paglia (1974) and the Poltrona di Proust (1978)—alongside 130 total pieces including drawings, paintings, and texts. The selection was made with Mendini's daughters Elisa and Fulvia, and the layout follows the villa's 19th-century plan, turning each space into a distinct chapter of his creative journey.
This exhibition matters because it offers an intimate, focused alternative to the encyclopedic retrospective held at the Triennale di Milano two years ago, allowing visitors to grasp the essence of Mendini's radical design philosophy. By highlighting objects that deliberately subvert function and commercial logic—like the straw armchair made from worthless material—the show underscores Mendini's role as a critical thinker who blurred the lines between architecture, design, art, and poetry. It also reaffirms Villa Giulia as a venue for high-caliber design retrospectives, connecting local cultural heritage with international design history.