This is the last of our 4-part mega blogpost about the exhibition – Arts & Foods. Rituals since 1851 at the Palazzo di Triennale …
On the day, we were a bit of short of time because of our train for Venice in the afternoon. So we rushed through the museum. This was a far cry from the crush of people at the Expo 2015. At the Triennale, there was hardly anyone and we could enjoy the exhibits at our own pace.
This is the part of the show that we saw really quickly – it is mostly about appliances and equipment.
Magic Chef by American Stove Corporation 1935
Many of the objects here are made by Alessi. First, there are these oversized reproductions of iconic designs of daily objects. La Conica by Aldo Rossi.
Philip Starck’s “Juicy salif” – looking even more alien-like when it is five foot tall.
Alessi was founded in 1921 in Omegna as a maker of tableware and household objects. During the 1950s the company gradually replaces soft metals with stainless steel, marking the transition from artisanal craftsmanship to mass production.
La Cupola by Aldo Rossi. We actually own one but it is not being used much – yeah, Nespresso’s fault.
There are several windows displaying small tools for the kitchen. Most if not all are timers. Timers definitely do not need to look like a clock.
Alessi begins working with external designers in 1955. In the 70’s and 80, Alessi became a “factory of Italian design”.
Alessi’s mission is now one of translating its quest for the most advanced cultural, aesthetic, design and functional quality into mass production. The company is committed to a design approach in which the most advanced expression of international creativity is always balanced against the desires of the general public.
Well, the Arts & Foods was one of those exhibitions that had both depth and breadth, that we would love to spend more time seeing but just cannot manage.
This post closes the 4-part story. Click here, here and here to read the earlier posts.