Milan, September 13th | 25 Stories, the 25th anniversary of Alessi Museum
Alessi celebrates 25 years of the Alessi Museum with a special exhibition that looks back at the most memorable moments of its history while exploring the values, innovations and experiments of one of Italy’s most celebrated Design Factories.
Opened in 1998 and designed by Alessandro Mendini, the Alessi Museum holds a collection of over 25,000 objects that include prototypes, moulds, unrealized projects, first versions, drawings and sketches that together tell a multitude of stories.
The exhibition opens with a Timeline, looking at some of the company’s key moments from its founding in 1921. In the Timeline are some of Alessi’s early icons, such as the Bombé tea and coffee set by Carlo Alessi from 1945, and the 1955 Avio set by Carlo Mazzeri and Anselmo Vitale.
The Timeline continues with the 1970s, highlighting the first projects created with the Masters of Italian design, and looks at the company’s collaborations with international architects, which began in 1983 with Tea & Coffee Piazza, a project conceived and coordinated by Alessandro Mendini and followed, twenty years later, by the Tea & Coffee Towers.
The exhibition opens with a Timeline, looking at some of the company’s key moments from its founding in 1921. In the Timeline are some of Alessi’s early icons, such as the Bombé tea and coffee set by Carlo Alessi from 1945, and the 1955 Avio set by Carlo Mazzeri and Anselmo Vitale.
The Timeline continues with the 1970s, highlighting the first projects created with the Masters of Italian design, and looks at the company’s collaborations with international architects, which began in 1983 with Tea & Coffee Piazza, a project conceived and coordinated by Alessandro Mendini and followed, twenty years later, by the Tea & Coffee Towers.
The 25 stories are shown through an installation by A4Adesign, entirely made of recycled corrugated cardboard and conceived to be easily assembled and dismantled.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to discover the company’s ongoing research into applied arts and reflects Alessi’s talent in creating a timeless series of objects of desire that have punctuated the history of contemporary design, changing aesthetics, functionality and the way we live.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to discover the company’s ongoing research into applied arts and reflects Alessi’s talent in creating a timeless series of objects of desire that have punctuated the history of contemporary design, changing aesthetics, functionality and the way we live.
“I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF ALESSI AS A PLACE OF THE MUSES, DEDICATED TO THE DREAM OF INDUSTRIAL BEAUTY - CERTAINLY WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF A FACTORY THAT NEEDS TO PRODUCE AND SELL TO SURVIVE. SO I STARTED TALKING TO ALESSANDRO MENDINI, WHO CONCEIVED THE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT.”
Alberto Alessi, President of Alessi
Alberto Alessi, President of Alessi
