Goods - Standard

The ninth edition of the Triennale di Milano, organised under the theme “Goods - Standard”, was recognised by the BIE on 7 June 1950. Taking place between May and November 1951, the exhibition’s themes and objectives were fragmented, reflecting the rapid changes under way at the time.

The 1951 edition of the Triennale di Milano saw the participation of Italy’s leading intellectuals. For industrial products, Belgioioso, Peressutti and Max Huber organised a display entitled “The Form of the Useful.” A historical exhibition of architecture was curated by Giulio Carlo Argan and Mario Labò, among others, while “Architecture, Measure of Man” was prepared by Rogers, Gregotti and Stoppino. A further display on urban planning was organised under the responsibility of Giovanni Astengo.

Other sections saw the involvement of Nizzoli, Baldessari, Gardella, Viganò, Lingeri, Caccia Dominioni, Ponti, Daneri, Figini, Albini, De Carlo, Samonà and many others, demonstrating the level of participation of the Italian intelligentsia of the time. Some of the most interesting interventions were the work of Lucio Fontana, author of the extraordinary “Luminous Sculpture”, a neon tube that outlined a swirling “spatial concept” suspended in the air above the Palazzo dell’Arte’s grand staircase.

Among international participants, New York’s Museum of Modern Art had a significant presence, mounting an exhibition of architecture and city planning, and another of American design that was housed in the experimental construction of the BBPR group.