Andrea Branzi by Toyo Ito: Continuous Present

The exhibition presents a monographic project dedicated to Andrea Branzi, curated by Nina Bassoli and Michela Alessandrini, a central figure in Italian design and in the development of architectural and design theory from the late twentieth century to the present. Developed together with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, the exhibition is conceived through the perspective of architect Toyo Ito, a long-time collaborator and friend of Branzi.

Installations, objects, drawings and photographs are brought into dialogue to highlight key themes in Branzi’s research. The exhibition also retraces his relationship with the two institutions involved in the project: his role at Triennale Milano as designer, theorist and curator from 1973 to 2022, and the environments he created for the Fondation Cartier exhibition “Open Enclosures” in 2008.

A biographical section follows the evolution of Branzi’s practice, from the radical design experiments developed with Archizoom to later collaborations with Alchimia and Memphis, leading to the anthropological approach to design that characterised his later work. A large site-specific installation revisits “No Stop City” (1969–1972), a seminal project through which Branzi articulated a critical reflection on the modern metropolis.