Alchimia, the Italian design revolution on display at the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid
(ANSA) - MADRID, 16 FEB - A raft travels through the three exhibition rooms of the historic Palacio de Abrantes, in Calle Mayor, with bright colors, decorated surfaces, and provocative ornaments that challenge conventional taste. It is from here, from the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid, that 'Alchimia. The Italian Design Revolution', a retrospective dedicated to the Milanese collective active between 1976 and 1992, presented as part of the Madrid Design Festival. The exhibition, produced by the ADI Design Museum with the Brohan-Museum, arrives in the Iberian capital after Berlin and Milan, with a layout conceived as an immersive and symbolic journey through objects, furnishings, sketches, and photographs, on display until March 14. Founded by Adriana and Alessandro Guerriero—who was present at the official opening on Sunday evening and is the curator of the exhibition—Alchimia was a workshop of ideas, even before it was a workshop of objects. Guerriero defines it as "a cultural and artistic adventure, guided by a desire to critique beautiful design and functionalism," capable of expressing "both from a theoretical and practical point of view, a project to transform the environment in which people live." Among its protagonists were Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Scottsass, Andrea Branzi, and Michele De Lucchi. The exhibition revolves around the "carpet-raft," a symbolic device that invites the public to climb aboard "without worrying about the route," the curator explained to ANSA.
"The exhibition testifies to the extraordinary ability of Italian design to become a cultural expression, a critical tool, and a language of international dialogue," noted the Italian ambassador to Spain, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi. He linked the event to the strategy of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to strengthen exports and investments, with the goal of reaching €700 million: promoting design, he stressed, means enhancing "a constituent element of Italian identity." The exhibition, the ambassador also noted, is "an intellectual reflection, an invitation to overcome aesthetic homologation and industrial standardization through freedom of expression, irony, and experimentation." And "confirms the centrality of Italian design in the European landscape," which sees Italy as the leader with about 20% of the continent's turnover, €3.2 billion in added value, and over 46,000 operators, he noted. The director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid, Elena Fontanella, recalled how design is "a cultural and economic pillar of Made in Italy." She added that participation in the festival confirms the institute's commitment to creating "relationships, diplomacy, and business" through culture. Fontanella also presented the first edition of Italian Design Week in Madrid, promoted by the IIcm and coordinated by Regina De Albertis, who, as artistic director, will also accompany future editions. Angelo Piero Cappello, Director General of Contemporary Creativity at the Ministry of Culture, highlighted design as "a feature of Italian culture made up of tradition, the culture of our past, but also imagination, improvisation, research, and innovation." During the evening of conviviality, paella, and flamenco, the talk—moderated by Regina De Albertis—featured Francesca Caruso, Councilor for Culture of the Lombardy Region, Adrea Cancellato, director of the ADI Design Museum, and architect and designer Patricia Urquiola Hidalgo. Caruso emphasized the economic importance of the sector in Lombardy—33 billion euros in value generated and 378,000 jobs—describing it as "a fundamental driving force." Cancellato echoed this sentiment, defining design as "the true Esperanto of creativity, capable of speaking to the world."
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