Elio Fiorucci: a tribute to the artist at Triennale Milano
Until March 16, 2025, the exhibition showcases archive materials, graphics, and the ironic and provocative language that inspired the designer.
From November 6, 2023, to March 16, 2025, the Triennale Milano will host an exhibition dedicated to Elio Fiorucci (Milan, 1935-2015). Curated by Judith Clark—an architect, exhibition maker, and professor of fashion and museology at the University of the Arts London—the exhibition features a set design by scenographer and director Fabio Cherstich.
The exhibition, the largest and most comprehensive collection of works and documents ever devoted to the artist, both in Italy and abroad, aims to showcase the various creative dimensions of the Italian designer, stylist, cool hunter, and entrepreneur. Fiorucci, the founder of the namesake brand, revolutionized fashion, pop culture, and the contemporary art scene in Italy starting from the 1960s.
The exhibition serves as a retrospective that explores Elio Fiorucci’s human, entrepreneurial, and cultural journey, offering a fresh perspective on his life and legacy. There is a special focus on the designer’s life and biography, highlighted through Fiorucci's eclectic expressions via a selection of objects, iconic garments, graphics, shopping bags, and personal archives—a vibrant mix of colors and neon lights bridging design and art.
The exhibition layout chronologically traces the artist's life through theatrical structures, each one leading to the next chapter of his story. The entire showcase is "narrated" by Elio Fiorucci himself, through previously unreleased recordings. The playful, ironic, and provocative graphic language that inspired the designer serves as the common thread linking the different sections of the exhibition. From media, documents, and artworks—including Polaroid-sized pieces to large-scale environmental installations—through videos, photographs, architectural models, clothing, accessories, and contemporary art pieces, the entire collection illustrates how the brand has maintained its distinct identity, closely tied to the personality and creative genius of its founder.