Superstudio's 50th Anniversary Exhibition at MAXXI Rome Explores Radical Architecture's Legacy
From April 21 to September 4, 2016, MAXXI in Rome presented Superstudio 50, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Florentine Radical architecture collective. Curated by Gabriele Mastrigli alongside founders Adolfo Natalini and Cristiano Toraldo di Francia, as well as member Gian Piero Frassinelli, the exhibition delved into themes of metaphysics, ecology, and social critique. Notable pieces featured included architectural sketches from Macchina per Vacanze (1967–8) and the Il Monumento Continuo series (1969). Additionally, the film Vita (Supersuperficie) (1972) and the installation Microenvironment Supersuperficie (1971–2/2000) examined global interconnectedness. The event underscored Superstudio's critical perspective on modernist architecture and its significance to current challenges, initially reported in ArtReview's September 2016 edition.
Key facts
- Exhibition held at MAXXI, Rome from 21 April to 4 September 2016
- Marked 50th anniversary of Superstudio's founding in 1966
- Curated by Gabriele Mastrigli with founders Adolfo Natalini and Cristiano Toraldo di Francia
- Included later member Gian Piero Frassinelli and others like Roberto Magris, Alessandro Magris, Alessandro Poli
- Featured works such as Macchina per Vacanze (1967–8) and Il Monumento Continuo (1969)
- Showcased film Vita (Supersuperficie) (1972) and installation Microenvironment Supersuperficie (1971–2/2000)
- Collaborated with Archizoom Associati on Superarchitettura, exhibited in Pistoia in 1966
- Critiqued modernist architecture's functionality since the Bauhaus
Entities
Artists
- Adolfo Natalini
- Cristiano Toraldo di Francia
- Gian Piero Frassinelli
- Roberto Magris
- Alessandro Magris
- Alessandro Poli
- Gabriele Mastrigli
Institutions
- MAXXI
- ArtReview
- Archizoom Associati
- Superstudio
- Bauhaus
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Florence
- Pistoia
- Tropea
- New York City
- United States