Art Deco Centenary: The Rise and Global Spread of a Modernist Style
The centenary of Art Deco will be celebrated in 2025, commemorating the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris. This movement mirrored the post-WWI era's yearning for modernity and escapism, emerging without any formal manifestos or theoretical underpinnings. According to curator Valerio Terraroli, Art Deco amalgamated various influences, such as Art Nouveau, classicism, and Cubism. The Expo took place from April 28 to November 30, showcasing 21 nations (with Germany and the US absent), while France demonstrated its manufacturing dominance and Italy secured several Grand Prix awards. Notable Italian contributions included ceramics by Gio Ponti and glasswork by Vittorio Zecchin. Art Deco's influence on architecture and design persisted into the 1930s, even as it began to wane by the late 1920s.
Key facts
- 2025 marks the centenary of Art Deco, conventionally tied to the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.
- Art Deco is considered a taste rather than a codified style, lacking manifestos or theoretical foundations.
- The 1925 Expo ran from April 28 to November 30 at the Esplanade des Invalides, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais, and Pont Alexandre III.
- 21 countries participated in the 1925 Expo, excluding Germany and the United States.
- Italy won multiple Grand Prix for works by Gio Ponti, Vittorio Zecchin, Renato Brozzi, Adolfo Wildt, Galileo Chini, and others.
- The Italian pavilion at the 1925 Expo was designed by Armando Brasini in a neo-Renaissance style.
- Art Deco spread globally in the 1930s, influencing architecture in New York, Shanghai, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, and other cities.
- The movement declined after 1929 due to economic crisis and the rise of authoritarian regimes.
Entities
Artists
- Valerio Terraroli
- Gio Ponti
- Vittorio Zecchin
- Renato Brozzi
- Adolfo Wildt
- Galileo Chini
- Armando Brasini
- Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann
- Le Corbusier
- Pierre Patout
- Ugo Ojetti
- Guido Marangoni
- Tomaso Buzzi
- Herta Ottolenghi Wedekind
- Guido Ravasi
- Alfredo Ravasco
- Arduino Colasanti
- Annibale Galateri
- Ardengo Soffici
- Margherita Sarfatti
- Gabriele D'Annunzio
- Livia Montagnoli
Institutions
- Università di Verona
- Palazzo Reale di Milano
- Société des Artistes Décorateurs
- Printemps
- Au Bon Marché
- Wiener Werkstätte
- Cappellin Venini & C.
- Richard Ginori
- Lenci
- Biennale delle Arti Decorative
- Università delle Arti Decorative
- Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche
- Villa Reale di Monza
- Triennale
- Chrysler Building
- Empire State Building
- Edificio Kavanagh
- Artribune
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Milan
- Italy
- Verona
- Turin
- Monza
- New York
- United States
- Miami
- Chicago
- Shanghai
- China
- Hong Kong
- Mumbai
- India
- Manila
- Philippines
- Asmara
- Eritrea
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Esplanade des Invalides
- Place de la Concorde
- Grand Palais
- Pont Alexandre III
- Cours de la Reine
- Marine Drive
- Hollywood