The Milan Triennial: A Beacon of Art and Design Excellence

The Stage of International Talent

Decades on, the Triennial has opened its arms to a kaleidoscope of artists and designers, from Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts to Michelangelo Pistoletto’s reflective canvases, embodying the fluidity and dynamism of art and design. The Triennial, however, faced moments of silence in 1940, 1973, and 1996, only to re-emerge with renewed vigour, dedicating its rich palette to themes that mirror the pulse of contemporary society.

A Museum Beyond Boundaries

The Triennale di Milano Museum is not merely an exhibition space but a dialogue between design’s past, present, and future. Each edition, lasting up to six months, is a thematic exploration of modern-day dilemmas. It hosts a diverse range of participants, from academicians to young creatives, all deciphering the language of design within this historical venue. Syncing with the Milan Design Week, the Triennial offers a symbiotic relationship with the city, radiating the essence of design beyond its walls.

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A Cultural Hub of Innovation

The Triennale goes beyond an exhibition space; it’s a cultural nucleus engaging in applied arts and design discourse. Renowned globally for its high-profile contemporary art exhibitions, the Triennale is a testament to Italian design, researching and representing it from multifaceted viewpoints. With the ever-evolving Triennale Design Museum at its heart, it showcases the dynamic Italian design landscape, paying homage to the entire design ecosystem.

A Laboratory of Ideas and Creativity

The institution serves as a crucible for creativity, catering not just to professionals but fostering the dreams of future generations. With its experimental and interactive activities, the Triennale nurtures the culture of design, engaging children and young adults in the vast ocean of creativity. The recent annexation of the Teatro dell’Arte marks a new chapter, offering a platform for cultural projects and the performing arts within the historical context of Milan’s Parco Sempione.

List of Triennials

Event	Description	Start Date	End Date	Notes
Monza Biennial I	International Exhibition of Decorative Arts	1923	1923
Monza Biennial II	International Exhibition of Decorative Arts	1925	1925
Monza Biennial III	International Exhibition of Decorative Arts	1927	16 October 1927	The twentieth century and Neoclassicism in decoration and furnishing
Monza Biennial IV	International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Art	1930	1930	Included several works by Gio Ponti
Milan Triennial V	Style – Civilisation	10 May 1933	31 October 1933
Milan Triennial VI	Continuity – Modernity	31 May 1936	1 November 1936
Milan Triennial VII	Order – Tradition	6 April 1940	9 June 1940
Milan Triennial VIII	The House	31 May 1947	14 September 1947	Urban planning project that led to the QT8 area
Milan Triennial IX	Goods – Standards	12 May 1951	5 November 1951	Gold medal winners included Danish textile artist Helga Foght
Milan Triennial X	Prefabrication – Industrial Design	28 August 1954	15 November 1954	Led to the creation of the building now used as the Bar Bianco
Milan Triennial XI	Improving the Quality of Expression in Today’s Civilisation	27 July 1957	4 November 1957
Milan Triennial XII	Home and school	16 July 1960	4 November 1960
Milan Triennial XIII	Leisure	12 June 1964	27 September 1964
Milan Triennial XIV	The Large Number	23 June 1968	28 July 1968
Milan Triennial XV	Architettura Razionale	1973	1973	Major section curated by Aldo Rossi
Milan Triennial XVI	The Domestic Project	1986	1986	Directed by Mario Bellini and Georges Teyssot
Milan Triennial XVII	World Cities and the Future of the Metropolis	21 September 1988	18 December 1988
Milan Triennial XVIII	Life in Things and Nature: Design and the Environmental Challenge	1992	1992
Milan Triennial XIX	Identities and differences	22 February 1996	5 May 1996
Triennial 2016	21st century. Design after Design	2 April 2016	12 September 2016
Triennial 2019	Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival	1 March 2019	1 July 2019
XXIII Triennale di Milano	Unknown Unknowns. What we don’t know we don’t know.	20 May 2022	20 November 2022

Sources

Biennial Foundation. (n.d.). Milan Triennial / La Triennale di Milano. Retrieved from https://www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/la-triennale-di-milano/

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Designboom. (n.d.). Milan Triennale | art, architecture, and design news and projects. Designboom. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://www.designboom.com/tag/milan-triennale/

Milan Triennial. (2023, December 3). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Triennial