Exhibitions not to be missed this summer

The mysterious world of the oneiric is the place of exploration in the work of Eva Frapiccini, who presents Dreamscape, the second stage of the Dreams' Time Capsule project begun by the artist in 2011, at the Polo del '900 in Turin. It is a sound installation that invites visitors to interact with the intimate and private dimension of their own and others' dreams, retracing the dreamlike tales of the many voices that make up the archive of dreams, collected over the years by the artist around the world. From Turin, the installation will move to the Madre Museum in Naples from June 7 to 12 and then to Genoa in the spaces of Palazzo Ducale from July 6 to 16. Dreamscape | Polo del '900 Torino | May 9-24, 2023

Eva Frapiccini, Dreams' Time Capsule, 2011-2023. View from Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, 2022. The design of the Dreamscape capsule and structures was realised in collaboration with designer Michele Tavano.

“For me, the sketch, the hand-drawn drawing, is a form of thought,” writes the American architect Steven Holl, who is among the best-known contemporary architectural theorists and guest editor for Domus 2023 along with Toshiko Mori. Some of his projects rethinking urban space, aimed at the search for an ecological architecture developed in harmony with the environment, are on display at the Antonia Jannone Disegni di Architettura Gallery from May 26 to July 14 in the exhibition entitled Half Earth. An exceptional opportunity to reflect on the role of architecture as an activity closely connected to the relationship between man and nature. Steven Holl. Half Earth | Antonia Jannone Drawings of Architecture Milan | May 26-July 14, 2023

The link between architecture and artwork is the main topic of the major exhibition running through October at MAXXI in Rome, entitled Architetture a regola d’arte. From the BBPR, Dardi, Monaco Luccichenti, Moretti Archives. Through precious archival materials from the MAXXI Architecture Collection, the interdisciplinary nature of the work of these architects is highlighted, in which personal passions and talents in the field of art played a fundamental role, for the development and originality of their projects. Artful Architecture. From the Archives BBPR, Dardi, Monaco Luccichenti, Moretti | MAXXI Rome | December 22 - October 23

The evocative space of a deconsecrated Renaissance church in the center of Piacenza is the home of Volumnia Gallery, which until June 18 is hosting the exhibition Franco Albini. Method and Poetry, a retrospective dedicated to the Milanese architect and designer, curated by Stefano Andrea Poli. Archival materials and historical images form the first narrative core of the exhibition, which recounts Albini’s experience all-around. In the second section, visitors will encounter objects that made the history of Italian design in dialogue with a unique space, such as the famous Luisa armchair, awarded with the Compasso d'Oro in 1955. Franco Albini. Method and Poetry | Volumnia Piacenza | 18 April - 18 June 2023

Among the most talked-about contemporary artists ever, Ai Weiwei has expanded his research by going into the merits of different disciplines such as architecture, film, curating and design. The exhibition at the Design Museum in London, titled Ai Weiwei: Making Sense, is a commentary on design and what it reveals about the society in which we live. Commissioned pieces and more recent works by the Chinese artist invite visitors to reflect on the value of art, activism and language, focusing on human inventions as useful elements in understanding human history and evolution. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense | Design Museum London | April 7 - July 30 

Until July 16, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is hosting the largest-ever exhibition on the work of Canadian artist group General Idea, whose generous archive was held by the Dutch institution since 2018. Installations, sculptures, paintings, videos and publications, enhanced by historical materials and their famous wallpapers, tell the story of their ingenious, humorous and subversive approach to tackling mass media, consumer culture, the art economy and social inequalities. GENERAL IDEA | Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam | April 1 - July 16

Following 2018’s celebratory exhibitions in London, from May 24 the Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection is hosting a major solo exhibition by British naturalized German artist Tacita Dean. The works on display in dialogue with the majestic architecture of the Rotunda, embrace the sense of a geological time, of dystopian landscapes inspired by Caspar David Friedrich’s Sea of Ice, recounting the fragility of natural materials, even in their mammoth dimensions, as a kind of memento mori in the here and now. Tacita Dean | Pinault Collection Paris | May 24 - Sept. 18

Among the best-known pioneers of performance and multimedia experimentation, Laurie Anderson has continued to work on her artistic research seamlessly since the 1970s, varying media and disciplines. The Moderna Museet in Stockholm is dedicating to her the largest monographic exhibition ever mounted on her work in Europe. Looking into a Mirror Sideways presents a representative selection of the American artist's work since the beginning of her practice, along with new site-specific productions. Looking into a Mirror Sideways | Moderna Museet Stockholm | April 1 - September 3

The Centre Pompidou celebrates Norman Foster with a monographic exhibition named after him: almost 100 projects are on display in the Norman Foster exhibition, which can be visited until August 7. Along with drawings and archival materials, a selection of modern and contemporary artworks highlights how they were signs of aesthetic periods essential to the British architect's vision. Highlights include a narrative of his comprehensive systemic understanding of nature and technology, in which technological progress travels in parallel with a sustainable ecological approach. Norman Foster | Centre Pompidou Paris | May 7 - August 7

The summer of the Royal Academy of Arts in London goes all in on architecture with an exhibition showcasing the work of Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron for more than four decades, from July 14 through October 15. A unique opportunity to discover the work behind the projects of these internationally renowned architects, with more than 400 objects, archival documents, furniture and furniture supplements, architectural models, and a screening of Beka & Lemoine's documentary on the Swiss firm’s latest project on 165 REHAB, Clinic for Neurorehabilitation and Paraplegiology in Basel. Herzog & de Meuron | Royal Academy of Arts London | July 14 - October 15

The architecture of the 1970s in West Berlin is the focus of the exhibition Suddenly Wonderful. Visions for Chunky 1970’s Architecture in West Berlin: new facilities for science, art, and research built during the Cold War, now considered obsolete enough to plan their demolition, are in this exhibition enhanced historically and culturally as the city’s heritage. To support this new vision, documents, plans and films from the museum’s collection are presented to trace the lines of historical context and tell the story of making these buildings.

SUDDENLY WONDERFUL. VISIONS FOR CHUNKY 1970'S ARCHITECTURE IN WEST BERLIN |Berlinischegalerie Berlin | May 25-September 9 

Through June 4, the New Museum is hosting the exhibition Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined, which, expanding over three floors of the building at 235 Bowery in New York, delves into the Kenyan artist's 25-year career. Exploring diverse media in her work, the artist has developed hybrid and fantastical forms that mix mythological narratives with social and historical references. This project draws connections between her most recent sculptural works and her research on the legacy of colonialism, globalization, and African cultural traditions.

Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined |New Museum New York | March 2 - June 4

Best known for her paintings of flowers, portraits, and aerial views, Georgia O’Keeffe’s output has never remained confined to the realm of oil painting, but includes a great number of works on paper that the American artist created from 1915 until the end of her career. Georgia O'Keeffe: To See Takes Time is the exhibition that MoMA New York devotes to this lesser-known but equally valuable part of O’Keeffe’s work: key paintings and works on paper tell something about how drawing enabled her to capture the forms and rhythms of nature, inviting visitors to take their time to immerse themselves in her work. Georgia O’Keeffe: To See Takes Time | MoMA New York | through August 12

Triennale Milan turns one hundred years old in 2023: a long-lived institution that over the decades has chronicled design and architecture with virtuosity and originality. The exhibition Home Sweet Home, curated by Nina Bassoli, explores the evolution of the idea of home, tracing a century of history and Triennale International Exhibitions. In this exhibition, insights from the past intersect with contemporary living through collaboration with Italian and international designers who present ten site-specific rooms, reflecting on the concept of the home as a place of continuous experimentation for human technological and ethical evolution. Home Sweet Home | Triennale Milano | May 12 - September 10, 2023

The iconic Farnsworth House designed by Mies van der Rohe between 1945 and 1951, located in a rural setting about 50 miles from Chicago, has been a pilgrimage destination for architecture enthusiasts since it opened to the public in 2004. Since 2018, it has become an exhibition venue for projects that reflect on contemporary architectural themes. The Last of Animal Builders exhibition, on view through Nov. 26, 2023, curated by Alberto Ortega Trejo in collaboration with Thoma Foundation, is an observation of how architectural modernity, minimalism and capitalism have affected our understanding of nature, the non-human and the economy.

The Last of Animal Builders | Edith Farnsworth House Illinois United States | April 2 - Nov. 26

The SAN Museum, designed by Tadao Ando and opened to the public in 2013, presents a major solo exhibition by the Japanese architect to mark the 10th anniversary of its opening. Nestled in the nature of South Korea’s Oak Valley region, this spectacular complex is the perfect venue for the exhibition Youth. Tadao Ando. On display are 250 of the architect’s masterpieces from the late 1960s to the present, celebrating the endless challenge Tadao Ando engaged with architecture, his idea of continuous improvement, and his vision of the world. Youth. Tadao Ando | Museum San, Oak Valley South Korea | April 1 - July 30.