Radical: Italian Design 1965–1985, The Dennis Freedman Collection
Inspired by turbulent global events in the 1960s, young Italian architects and designers aspired to develop solutions to issues rather than contribute to the “system,” unleashing an era of radicalization that would alter the course of avant-garde architectural thought and design. Coined by Germano Celant, the term “Radical” described a specific strain of practice featuring conceptual, often one-of-a-kind, handmade art and design objects that abandoned practicality and defied consumerism.
Fifty years after MoMA’s defining 1972 survey, Italy: The New Domestic Landscape, this is the first major U.S. museum exhibition to assess this now-iconic movement from a historical perspective. Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the exhibition presents nearly 70 pieces of furniture, lighting design, and architectural models from the Dennis Freedman Collection, most of which are now in the collection of the MFAH. Rare prototypes, one-of-a-kind, and limited edition works by architects, designers, and collectives such as Archizoom Associati, Lapo Binazzi, Ugo La Pietra, Alessandro Mendini, Gianni Pettena, Ettore Sottsass, Studio Alchimia, Superstudio, and others will be on view.
The Gallery is open:
Monday to Friday, 9-5
(except holidays)
Saturdays, 10-5
All visitors must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Yale Architecture Gallery
Paul Rudolph Hall, Second Floor
180 York Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Exhibition Credits
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Curator:
Cindi Strauss, Sara and Bill Morgan Curator,
Department of Decorative Arts, Craft at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
MFAH team:
Deborah Roldan, Marcellina Guerrero, Ingrid Seyb, Trevor Boyd, Emily Link, Sarah Horne
Exhibition Design:
Almost Studio (Dorian Booth and Anthony Gagliardi)
Exhibition Graphic Design:
Edward Leida
Yale Exhibition Organization:
Andrew Benner, Director of Exhibitions
Alison Walsh, Exhibitions Coordinator
Exhibition Fabricators:
J. Joiners, Trueline Productions, and the Yale School of Architecture Gallery Installation Team
Installation Team:
Milena Alvarez, Jermaine Burke, Brunno Douat, Nick Grunerud, Alyse Guild, Patrick Mastrobuono, Charlie Taylor, Matthew Shropshire
The Yale School of Architecture’s exhibition program is supported in part by the James Wilder Green Dean’s Resource Fund, the Kibel Foundation Fund, the Nitkin Family Dean’s Discretionary Fund in Architecture, the Pickard Chilton Dean’s Resource Fund, the Paul Rudolph Publication Fund, the Robert A.M. Stern Fund, the Rutherford Trowbridge Memorial Fund, the Fred Koetter Exhibitions Fund, and the School of Architecture Exhibitions Fund.
