The Triennale di Milano is one of the most important cultural institutions at international level, an expression of the city's intellectual and artistic energy. It has been giving voice to the different languages of contemporaneity for over a century, with exhibitions and events related to the world of design, architecture, visual, scenic and performing arts.
Inside the monumental Palazzo dell'Arte, located in the charming Parco Sempione, it cherishes a unique history, pursuing the same mission since 1923, that of opening minds to the complexity and variety of cultures and thought through the different arts and forms of expression.
Monza 1923: the origins of the Triennale di Milano
The history of the Triennale di Milano is linked to the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, inaugurated at Villa Reale in Monza in 1923, initially as a biennial event and then every three years from 1930. The International Exhibition presented the state of the art of recent years and was an authentic showcase, its aim being to promote synergies between art, industry and society.
In 1933, the exhibition moved permanently to Milan, to Palazzo dell'Arte designed by Giovanni Muzio and donated by the Bernocchi family to the Municipality of Milan for the purpose of hosting important museum activities and cultural events. The Bernocchi brothers' intuition was triggered by the realisation that design would become crucial to the fortunes of Italian industry.
Over the years, the exhibitions held at the Triennale di Milano have chronicled the most important socio-cultural changes and set trends, making it a place of innovation and discovery, a point of reference in defining movements of thought, arts and crafts.
The 1933 edition, the first to be held at Palazzo dell'Arte, was entitled “Style - Civilisation: Triennial Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts and Modern Architecture” and consisted of 25 halls dedicated to the home, half of which focused on the “holiday home”. Great names of the 20th century, including Gio Ponti, Mario Sironi, Franco Albini, Giuseppe Pagano, the BBPR Group and Piero Portaluppi, took part in this edition, promoting a fruitful collaboration between the Triennale and the artists, designers and architects who have made history.
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The Triennale di Milano since the end of the Second World War
After the war, the Triennale tackled the urgent and necessary theme of reconstruction, with an eighth edition dedicated to living: the goal was the construction of an experimental neighbourhood, the present-day Quartiere Triennale 8 or QT8, promoted by Piero Bottoni in the Monte Stella area of Milan.
Industrial design took centre stage in the editions of the Triennale held in the 1950s and this was no coincidence, as the success of Italian design and excellence Made in Italy began to escalate during this decade. From the 1960s onwards, the Triennale di Milano focused increasingly on themes related to social change, explored in art exhibitions like “Home and School” (1960), “Leisure Time” (1964) and “The Cities of the World and the Future of Metropolises” (1988). From the end of the 1970s new categories, such as fashion and audiovisuals, were included in the cultural debate promoted by the Triennale.
Throughout the 20th century, the Triennale encouraged dialogue and cultural reflection, embracing more and more fields of knowledge and the arts, with exhibitions, education, conferences and events of the highest value, aimed at the widest and most transversal audience, effectively boosting the development of Italian design, arts and architecture.
Since 2007, the Triennale di Milano building in Viale Alemagna 6 has also been home to the Triennale Design Museum, the first museum dedicated to design and one of the most important in the world.
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Today, the Triennale is confirmed as a space dedicated to the arts and culture in their entirety: in addition to the permanent exhibitions dedicated to design, visitors can also enjoy a variety of temporary exhibitions. Palazzo dell'Arte, which is home to the Triennale, and the Giardino Giancarlo De Carlo are places full of art that are also deserving of a visit in themselves.
Visitors to Palazzo dell'Arte can admire the works of numerous artists, such as the statues designed by Mario Sironi, mosaics by Achille Funi and Gino Severini and bas-reliefs by Fausto Melotti, while the Giardino Giancarlo De Carlo offers the chance to discover works by the 20th century greats such as Giorgio De Chirico, Gaetano Pesce, Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini.
Not only plastic and figurative arts: the garden of the Triennale also hosts concerts and musical events, and its Teatro dell'Arte stages the most fascinating expressions of unconventional theatre.
The Triennale is a place open to exchanges and socialising: you can take a break at the Caffè Triennale during your visit, have lunch or drinks on the wooden veranda of the Caffè Giardino, or enjoy a spectacular view of the Milan skyline from the Terrazza Triennale while savouring the seasonal menu created by chef Tommaso Arrigoni.
Tickets for the Triennale di Milano can be purchased online or at the ticket office: there are several options for visiting, membership and guided tours.
