ADI Design Museum Honors Carlo Ripa di Meana's Biennale Legacy
In 2025, the ADI Design Museum Compasso d'Oro in Milan will present "B74-78. Un racconto fotografico di Lorenzo Capellini," a tribute to Carlo Ripa di Meana's leadership of the Venice Biennale from 1974 to 1978. The exhibition showcases Lorenzo Capellini's photographs, which document significant moments from these Biennales, known for their protest themes. Ripa di Meana, a forward-thinking figure, was involved with the International Union of Students magazine during the 1950s and publicly addressed Giuseppe Pinelli's death in 1971. His Biennale initiatives included "Libertà per il Cile" (1974), "Macchine Celibi" (1975), a spotlight on Spain's transition (1976), and art-nature interactions (1978). It will also highlight the 1977 "Biennale del Dissenso" and works by Luca Ronconi.
Key facts
- Exhibition at ADI Design Museum Compasso d'Oro, Milan, in 2025
- Title: 'B74-78. Un racconto fotografico di Lorenzo Capellini'
- Carlo Ripa di Meana was Biennale president 1974–1978
- 1974 Biennale: 'Libertà per il Cile' supporting Chile after Pinochet's coup
- 1975: Vittorio Gregotti curated 'Macchine Celibi' by Harald Szeemann at Magazzini del Sale
- 1976: Focus on Spain's democratic transition; Germano Celant curated 'Ambiente/Arte. Dal Futurismo alla Body Art'
- 1977: 'Biennale del Dissenso' for Eastern European dissidents
- 1978: Theme of art and nature, ecology, sustainability
- Music and theater sectors directed by Luca Ronconi with Bob Wilson, Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Ariane Mnouchkine
- Photographer Lorenzo Capellini documented the Biennales; his archive acquired in 2023
Entities
Artists
- Carlo Ripa di Meana
- Lorenzo Capellini
- Vittorio Gregotti
- Harald Szeemann
- Marcel Duchamp
- Germano Celant
- Luca Ronconi
- Bob Wilson
- Jerzy Grotowski
- Eugenio Barba
- Ariane Mnouchkine
- Gae Aulenti
- Vico Magistretti
- Giorgio Bocca
- Marco Zanuso
- Paolo Grassi
- Giuseppe Pinelli
- Luigi Calabresi
- Giolitti
Institutions
- ADI Design Museum Compasso d'Oro
- Biennale di Venezia
- Magazzini del Sale
- Mulino Stucky
- Ca' Giustinian
- Feltrinelli
- Rizzoli
- Unione Internazionale degli Studenti
- PSI (Partito Socialista Italiano)
- Odin Teatret
- Théâtre du Soleil
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Venice
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Giudecca
- Chile
- Spain
- Eastern Europe