Achille's 100th Anniversary

The recognized Italian architect and designer, awarded with nine Compasso d'Oro one of which for the iconic Arco Floor Lamp, was remembered this weekend by his dearest friends and family with a temporary exhibition in his old Milanese studio now transformed into the Fondazione Achille Castiglioni.

A unique 100th Anniversary set forth to celebrate Achille’s contributions to the world of design as well as remember his gentle, playful and creative spirit. The exhibition (100x100) curated by Chiara Alessi and Domitilla Dardi features a project gathering 100 anonymous artefacts brought as gifts by 100 international guest designers. All of the 100 objects are presented and exhibited in the architect´s old creative studio.

“Giovanna wanted to celebrate her dad in a unique way, so we came up with the idea of inviting all designers to celebrate him. Achille, was a great fan of anonymous objects so we thought that the guests could bring along with them an object as a gift and then invite the audience to be part of it too. The last month we continued receiving presents sent from designers from all over the world who were sending their gifts as a sign of affection towards the master” - said Chiara Alessi.

Simple objects ranging from brooms to bags, from lenses up to water bomb fillers each with a meaningful message; all objects are very different from one another in terms of shape and origins, but characterized by the same design vision identified by the guest designers.

“It's a very simple yet meaningful party to celebrate a humble and gentle man, an eternal child. My mom taught me to never join a party without bringing a present, so this time it the present was for him. One of my favourite birthday cards is the one written by the designer Orlandini it says: ‘I can imagine you and your dad walking hand in hand towards the sea, him wearing his singular hat…’ for me all these memories and the way we communicate every piece is an empathic way to showcase his work and his personal philosophy” - Giovanna Castiglioni.