As part of Milano MuseoCity 2025's "The Streets of Art" initiative, the Molteni Museum is unveiling a new exhibition, Museum 2D, to mark its tenth anniversary. Curated by Ron Gilad, the exhibition explores the Molteni Group's history of graphics and communication, shedding light on the interplay between design and its visual storytelling.
Museum 2D presents a rich tapestry of collaborations between Molteni&C, UniFor, Dada, and Citterio with leading photographers, graphic and set designers, art directors, producers, and communication agencies. These partnerships are brought to life through catalogues, advertising campaigns, posters, free gifts, and brochures, illustrating how design is communicated to the world.
'This exhibition draws inspiration from various historic materials in 2D: graphic design, photos, ad campaigns, and also cyanotype prints,' explains Ron Gilad. 'These elements, often ignored when creating 3D furnishings, are interpretations by the creative designers who have helped to communicate the work done worldwide by this company, using both physical and digital 2D formats. The exhibition is intended as a celebration of these materials and an exploration of the evolution of design, reexamining and lending new meaning to the past.'
A key feature of the exhibition is a curated selection of photographs capturing works by renowned figures such as Gabriele Basilico, Mario Carrieri, Luigi Ghirri, Studio Azzurro – Armando Bertacchi, Leo Torri, and Miro Zagnoli. A multimedia section showcases House of Molteni, a web series recognised by the ADI Design Index in 2018, La vita in un armadio, a theatrical performance starring Anna Galiena with set design by Margherita Palli, and White Noise, a short film by Beniamino Barrese and Mattia Colombo paying homage to Venice and Carlo Scarpa's architectural vision.
The exhibition's side walls feature a chronological display of advertising campaigns, showcasing the evolution of the company's communication, from Italian agencies such as Young & Rubicam and FCA/Sabbatini Baldoni Panzeri to the work of Annamaria Testa. Iconic slogans, including "Dagli Appendini alle Ante" (From Hangers to Doors), "Dada ha nascosto le ante della cucina. Indovinate dove" (Dada hid the kitchen cabinet doors. Guess where), and "UNIFOR. Il Pensiero Mobile" (UNIFOR. The Mobile Thought), demonstrate the brand's enduring creativity in messaging.
Historical sketches from the archives illustrate the transformation of catalogues, brochures, and advertising materials, tracing their evolution from the pre-digital era to today. Highlights include the 1994 Compasso d'Oro for UniFor's coordinated image and a dedicated section on logo development from the 1930s to the present, from Felix Humm's typography for Molteni&C to Nicola-Matteo Munari's visual identity system for the Molteni Group.
Additionally, Museum 2D features memorabilia from collaborations with leading architects and designers, including a famous free gift—a kite designed for Salone del Mobile 1978—that has become the exhibition's emblem. The exhibition also traces the evolution of the Group's magazine, from Giornalone to Molteni Magazine, reflecting its commitment to visual and cultural storytelling.
Alongside Museum 2D, Molteni Group is relaunching Molteni Theatre, originally designed in 2006 by Patricia Urquiola and now renovated by Ron Gilad. The space continues to serve as a multimedia hub showcasing historic Molteni&C and UniFor designs while maintaining its role as a centre for storytelling, education, and innovation in design.
Museum 2D will be open from 2 March 2025 at the Molteni Museum in Giussano. Guided visits are available by appointment from Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For bookings, please contact [email protected].
More information:
Molteni Group
[email protected]
www.moltenigroup.com