“Alchimia. Die Revolution Des Italienischen Designs”
The first major exhibition of the Italian design movement is hosted at the Bröhan Museum from 17 April to 7 September
April 25th, 2025
From 17 April to 7 September, the Bröhan Museum, together with the ADI Design Museum in Milan, is hosting the exhibition "Alchimia. Die Revolution des Italienischen Designs". Presented under the joint patronage of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella and supported by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Berlin, the exhibition offers a vibrant tribute to one of the most revolutionary movements of the second half of the 20th century.
For the first time, the evolution of the Alchimia group is being showcased in a dedicated exhibition. The Alchimia group represented an important milestone in what is known as Radical Design, a movement profoundly shaped by the student protests of the 1968 in Italy. The designers aimed at surpassing the concept of industrial production, challenging traditional norms, and instead working on more eccentric and innovative projects. The Alchimia group promoted a new vision of the world, a world full of colour and different aesthetics, in order to distance themselves from reality.
The groups' members - such as Alessandro Guerriero, Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Andrea Branzi and Lapo Binazzi - went beyond design, blurring the lines between design and art, becoming what in German is called "Gesamtkunstwerk" (total artwork - a creative process where different forms of art create a single cohesive vision).
The exhibition offers the visitors a immersive journey into the development of the Alchimia group. Thanks to archival materials, designer interviews, and many objects, Alchimia's world comes to life. The exhibition "Alchimia" urges visitors to embrace creative freedom, leading them to rethink design and the world.
References:
- https://ambberlino.esteri.it/it/news/dall_ambasciata/2025/04/linnovazione-del-design-italiano-protagonista-della-retrospettiva-alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs-inaugurata-ieri-al-brohan-museum-di-berlino-16-04-2025/ https://ambberlino.esteri.it/it/news/dall_ambasciata/2025/04/linnovazione-del-design-italiano-protagonista-della-retrospettiva-alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs-inaugurata-ieri-al-brohan-museum-di-berlino-16-04-2025/
- https://www.theartstory.org/definition/gesamtkunstwerk/ https://www.theartstory.org/definition/gesamtkunstwerk/
- https://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/it/mostre/alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs/ https://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/it/mostre/alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs/
- https://iicberlino.esteri.it/it/gli_eventi/calendario/alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs/ https://iicberlino.esteri.it/it/gli_eventi/calendario/alchimia-die-revolution-des-italienischen-designs/
- https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/alchimia-revolution-italian-design https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/alchimia-revolution-italian-design
- https://www.broehan-museum.de/en/exhibition/alchimia-the-revolution-of-italian-design/ https://www.broehan-museum.de/en/exhibition/alchimia-the-revolution-of-italian-design/
