Five unmissable exhibitions for travelers in Europe and beyond

The Genesis di Do Ho Suh at Tate Modern Gallery, London

Do Ho Suh, Tate Modern, London - Ph. Tate Photography Jai-Monaghan

The Solar Biennial and the iconic textile architectures of Do Ho Su. And a century of swimming, the inventiveness of the 1940s and the modernity of the Shakers. For those who love design - past, present and future

Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style 

It’s time to dive into summer... and into an exhibition celebrating the love of water! A journey through over 200 objects that recount the passion for swimming, from the elegance of swimming pools to the charm of bathing beaches and the wild beauty of natural landscapes. A unique exploration that entwines sport, style, architecture, society and the environment. 

What surprises are in store? From the architectural model of the London Aquatics Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid for the 2012 Olympics inspired by the fluid geometry of moving water, to The Seagull and the Windbreak, the first wheelchair-accessible beach hut built by ABIR Architects and Peter Lewis / AEREA Design in 2011. And then, from the parade of iconic swimsuits such as the woolen Jantzen of the 30s to the revolutionary bikini by Louis Réard, the famous and controversial LZR Racer, developed by Speedo with NASA and the Australian Institute of Sport in 2008, so effective that it was banned for “technological doping” shortly after. 

For all those who want to discover how design has shaped our relationship with water (and still does). 

Where: The Design Museum, London
When: until 17 August 2025

exhibition Splash!

Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, The Design Museum

Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s

While necessity is the mother of invention, the pressure of war in the 1940s gave rise to beauty and creativity. Despite all the hardships, an outstanding spirit of technological inventiveness pervaded the period. Think of curved plywood, a hallmark of the Eameses’ output, developed primarily with funding from the US Navy for emergency splints for the limbs of the wounded, or the polyethylene of Earl Tupper’s kitchen containers initially developed for radars by DuPont. 

Over 250 works including paintings, furnishings, clothes and various objects recount the perfection not only of materials but also of the key aesthetic languages that then made their mark in the following decades: in art, with Jackson Pollock’s first steps in Abstract Expressionism; in fashion, with the military-inspired jacket designed by Elsa Schiaparelli with deep pockets, making it possible to leave home without a bag  but taking a gas mask.  

For those who believe that beauty can still save the world. 

Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
When:Until 1 September 2025 

dettaglio disegno exhibition Boom

Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s, Philadelphia Museum of Art

MUDAC – Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Losanna  

The Solar Biennale, established in the Netherlands in 2022, by designers Pauline van Dongen and Marjan van Aubel, was created as a platform for reflection on the challenges of solar energy. In this second edition, it explores the symbolic and transformative potential of the sun, showcasing the ways solar design goes beyond energy innovation. Our star, in fact, is not just a yellow dwarf that gives life to the world, but much more. 

Five foundational concepts are linked to the versatility of the mother star and presented here: energy revitalization, heliotropism, symbolic gravity, transitions and melody. Between installations, objects, films, innovative materials, immersive spaces and creations by designers and artists such as Òlafur Elìasson, Liam Young and Andreas Gursky, the aim is to prompt us to rethink the relationship with health, politics, urban planning and inclusiveness in new ways and inspire approaches to de-carbonize our lifestyles. Making the message even more immediate, a series of specially designed apertures allow sunlight to pervade the interiors.  

For  all those wanting to investigate the theme of the ecological transition in symbolic, political, and aesthetic terms. 

Where: Soleil·s | Solar Biennale 2 
When: Until 21 September

scalinata mostra Solaris al Mudac

Solar Biennale Soleils - Ph. Cynthia Ammann

The Shakers: A World in the Making

Hanno decisamente influenzato il mondo del design e quanto ci hanno lasciato affascina ancora oggi per la sua attualità. Gli Shakers, la comunità religiosa creata da una lavoratrice tessile nella Manchester di fine '700, hanno creato un mondo a loro immagine e necessità, dove design e architettura rappresentavano semplicemente un’espressione di convinzioni legate alla collettività, al lavoro e all’uguaglianza sociale.

Con l'allestimento dei Formafantasma, la mostra presenta 150 pezzi tra mobili, utensili e beni commerciali, provenienti in gran parte dallo Shaker Museum di Chatman, NY, che evidenziano i tratti caratteristici del loro operare: il miglioramento degli oggetti di uso quotidiano e il conseguente adattamento a usi specifici. E per creare nuove connessioni con uno degli esperimenti più avvincenti della storia di vita comunitaria alternativa sono stati chiamati a esprimersi sette artisti e designer di oggi. Come scrive Mea Hoffmann, una delle curatrici, "gli Shakers sono una provocazione per il design di oggi".

Per chi ama riflettere sulle possibilità offerte dai valori della tradizione.

Where: Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
When: Until 28 September 

The Shakers: A World in the Making at Vitra Design Museum

The Shakers: A World in the Making, Vitra Design Museum

Walk the House

Seoul, New York and London. These are three cities that Do Ho Suh, a Korean sculptor born in 1962, calls home, having lived in them for the last thirty years. Inspired by his story as a migrant, Suh’s artistic research starts from the concept of “home” which, together with memory and identity, are the essence of this fascinating retrospective where fantastic textile architectures, on a 1:1 scale, engage in a dialogue with site-specific projects, videos and original works on paper. 

The title of the exhibition, taken from a Korean expression referring to the hanok - the traditional dwelling that can be dismantled and reassembled elsewhere, fully reflects the idea of the transportability of a building and examines the relations between architecture, the body and memory. “The space I’m interested in is not just physical, but also intangible, metaphorical and psychological,” says Suh. “To me, ‘space’ is what encompasses everything.” 

For everyone who wants to understand how greatly the spaces we live in define us. 

Where: Tate Modern, London
When: Until 19 October 

Portrait of Do Ho Suh all'interno at The Genesis Exhibition, Tate Modern Gallery di Londra

Do Ho Sun, Tate Modern - Ph. Gautier-Deblonde

9 June 2025
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