'Alchimia. The Italian design revolution' within the framework of the Academy's 'INCONTRI' programme
Academy of Architecture
Date: 16 October 2025 / 18:30
Gli INCONTRI dell’Accademia
‘Alchimia. The Italian design revolution‘
Thursday 16 October 2025, 6.30 pm
Palazzo Canaveé, foyer
The Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio and its Library – to celebrate the recent remarkable retrospective curated by François Burkhardt on Radical Design on display at the Bröhan Museum in Berlin and soon to be shown at the ADI Design Museum in Milan – are promoting an event dedicated to Studio Alchimia, the most avant-garde group in the history of Italian design in the second half of the 20th century.
The event, which is part of a series of public appointments planned for the 2025/26 academic year, will be introduced by Director Riccardo Blumer together with Angela Windholz, Head of the Academy of Architecture Library Mendrisio, who promoted the initiative.
It will be also an opportunity to express gratitude to François and Linde Burkhardt for donating their personal library to the Academy of Architecture, to explore the key role of the personalities and visions of Studio Alchimia, and to reflect together on unconventional ways of thinking that today, more than ever, need to be rediscovered.
The programme for the meeting includes an introduction to the theme with the screening of the film “Alchimia. La rivoluzione del design italiano” (13 min.) by director Marco Poma, also provided by François Burkhardt.
A panel discussion with the protagonists of that important experience will follow.
With participation by:
- François Burkhardt
- Paolo Deganello
- Alessandro Guerriero
- Franco Raggi
- moderated by Francesca Picchi