Utopie Radicali: Florence's Radical Architecture Movement Gets a Show

The exhibition 'Utopie Radicali. Oltre l’architettura: Firenze 1966-1976' at the Strozzina in Florence brings together over 320 works by the 'radicali fiorentini'—including Archizoom, Superstudio, UFO, and Gianni Pettena—curated by Alberto Salvadori, Gianni Pettena, and Pino Brugellis. The show eschews chronological order for thematic sections coordinated by art historian Elisabetta Trincherini, covering publishing, product design (notably Poltronova under Ettore Sottsass), jewelry, clothing, and urban utopias. Key archives include the CSAC of the University of Parma and the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. The exhibition's guide image is Alessandro Mendini's 1972 Casabella cover featuring a gorilla with a halo. The show closes a cycle at Palazzo Strozzi, following exhibitions on the Guggenheim and Bill Viola. Curator Alberto Salvadori noted that the radical utopians aimed to subvert rules and build something new, a spirit he says is nostalgically missed today. The exhibition also includes two inflatable installations by UFO in the Palazzo courtyard and the Mercato Centrale.