Gaetano Pesce's Final Interview and Milan Exhibition

Gaetano Pesce (La Spezia, 1939 – New York, 2024) gave his last interview before his death, discussing his career and his final exhibition in Milan. During Milan Design Week, he presented two projects: the monographic show "Nice to See You" at the Sala delle Accademie of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana (April 15–23, 2024) and the monumental outdoor installation "L'Uomo Stanco" (The Tired Man), created in collaboration with the municipality. The exhibition featured about thirty works, mostly from 2023–2024, selected for their dual functional and conceptual meanings. Pesce described himself as "a curious person" and argued that future design must express the socio-political reality of its place of origin, becoming an art document. He highlighted three key works: "Il perché" (The Why), a serial object based on diversity; "Il Pugno" (The Fist), addressing lack of free speech; and oversized chairs symbolizing elevation. He criticized contemporary art for losing critical force and becoming decoration. "L'Uomo Stanco" represents the ethical exhaustion of men, following his 2019 work "Maestà Sofferente" about violence against women. Pesce lived in New York since 1980, working at Brooklyn Navy Yard, and taught at institutions including Institut d'Architecture et d'Etudes Urbaines in Strasbourg, Carnegie Mellon, Domus Academy, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, Architectural School of Sao Paulo, and Cooper Union.