Patricia Urquiola curates Achille Castiglioni retrospective at Triennale Milano

Patricia Urquiola, a former student and assistant of Achille Castiglioni, curated a major retrospective at Triennale Milano celebrating the centenary of the Italian design master. The exhibition, organized with Federica Sala, is structured as a rhizomatic map with twenty interconnected clusters rather than a chronological sequence. Each cluster explores a facet of Castiglioni's personality and work: his Milanese identity (L'è un gran Milan), smoking habit (Fumo), playfulness (Playfulness), everyday objects (Forse non tutti sanno che), redesign (Redesigning), simplicity (Keep it simple), empty space (Vuoto), and ready-making (Ready making). Iconic pieces like Arco, Parentesi, Mezzadro, Sella, and the RR126 radiophonograph are displayed alongside prototypes, sketches, and photographs. The non-linear layout, inspired by Deleuze and Guattari's rhizome concept, highlights the enduring relevance of Castiglioni's work, who died in 2002. The exhibition runs at Triennale Milano, with a catalog published by Electa.