The Board of Directors of Milan’s Fondazione Triennale has announced the appointment of Wallpaper* Milan Editor Marco Sammicheli as curator of the Design, Fashion and Crafts for the Triennale, as well as Director of the Museo del Design Italiano.
A design critic and curator, Sammicheli has been part of the Wallpaper* team since 2017, working on strengthening the brand’s relationship with Italian companies and institutions, and taking part in editorial and commercial projects for the magazine and digital platform.
Sammicheli has also worked as a design educator at Politecnico di Milano and Shenkar College of Design and Engineering and in Tel Aviv. As a curator, his exhibitions include ‘Designing the Sacred’ at the Venice International Architecture Exhibition in 2014, 1+1+1 at Assab One, and a show of previously unseen watercolours by Steven Holl presented at Antonia Jannone gallery in 2018. Sammicheli was also part of the curatorial team for the 2017 exhibition Italian Beauty, on the career of Italian architect Mario Bellini.
In his new role, Sammicheli will oversee the museum’s exhibitions, collaborate on the institution’s design research and grow the permanent collections. He follows on from Joseph Grima, who will remain part of the Triennale working on the 23rd International Exhibition scheduled for 2022.
The Museum was established in 2019, as part of Triennale Director Stefano Boeri’s transformation of the Milan institution, and is an integral part of its cultural hub. Home to a 1600-piece strong permanent design collection, it regularly collaborates with leading designers and design brands to expand its offering. ‘Marco Sammicheli’s appointment as Superintendent of the Museo del Design Italiano, and his presence within the scientific committee of the Triennale Foundation, affirm the important role of the Museum for the Milan Triennale’s future,’ says Boeri. ‘Especially looking forward to the extraordinary opportunity given by the [upcoming] International exhibition.’
‘I am grateful to president Stefano Boeri and the board for their trust; I will work to implement the collection of the Museum as well as concentrate on temporary exhibitions dedicated to storytelling and promotion of Italian design,’ says Sammicheli. ‘I will also continue my work as International Relations Chief Officer, promoting the pavilions for the 2022 International Exhibition’.
Sarah Douglas, Wallpaper* Editor-in-Chief, comments: ‘I am delighted for Marco – he is so deserving of this important and influential position. He has been such a huge asset to the Wallpaper* family and I can’t wait to see all the brilliant things he brings to the Triennale.’ §