Amid Milan’s two quintessential spring weeks – art week and design week – the Palazzo dell’INPS (1929-1931), designed by Marcello Piacentini, opens its doors to the public, hosting the group exhibition “Contemporanea, per un’arte responsabile,” curated by Annalisa Bianco and Valerio Dehò. This is an unmissable opportunity to discover a lesser-known work by the fervently Fascist Roman architect, who is most renowned in Milan for his later, far grander Palazzo di Giustizia (1932-1940). 

Facing the square, the building’s monumental scale is undeniably striking – a mass of marble, columns, and arches, reminiscent of the regime’s desire to evoke the grandeur of classical Rome. Yet, the true marvels lie within, where, despite numerous modifications over time, several original spaces remain remarkably preserved. The exhibition breathes life into these spaces with works by artists Raimondo Galeano, Roberto Pugliese, Hyon Soo Kim, Arthur Duff, Marta Longa, and Universal Everything. Their works engage with the historic surroundings, both in harmony and contrast.

Visitors will experience at least four architectural moments of wonder, each corresponding to a distinct space. The journey begins in the Sala Italia, a rotunda framed by former public reception desks, decorated with glass panels featuring a silkscreened map of Italy, illuminated by zenithal light filtering through a glass and cement dome. 

The exhibition continues along the monumental spiral staircase, a sculptural mass of marble, and extends to the terrace, originally conceived as a service area, offering views over the extrados of the dome above the Sala Italia. The tour concludes in the grand Sala Riunioni, which opens onto Piazza Missori and is adorned with frescoes and period-appropriate inlaid wood details.