PRIN 2022

The project Radical Exhibited Thought aims to retrace the history of architecture exhibitions organized in Italy from the second half of the 19th century to the present day, with the purpose of highlighting the quality of the Italian contribution to architecture exhibition-making and its characteristics, very distinct even in the albeit vast European and international panorama. The project focuses in particular on the idea of the exhibition as an essential opportunity to present the radical foundation–here meant as generative moment–of the project of architecture and its cultural, social, political, and economic outcomes. Over the years, architects, artists, critics, and curators produced an extensive corpus of architecture exhibitions. This corpus shows how these exhibitions 1) constitute by themselves, in specific cases, actual manifestos capable of redefining the foundations of the architecture project 2) contribute to expanding the investigation around the concept of space 3) offer places of discussion and production of experimental projects 4) convey new ideas of city and collectivity 5) expose, to the publics, the cultural principles of the architecture project 6) challenge traditional display formats with immersive and multidisciplinary experiences 7) reflect over collateral problematics, such as social and environmental sustainability; circular economy; and social engagement. 
Given the complexity of the subject, the project resorts to the use of a scientific approach that combines historical analysis of the different aspects of architecture exhibitions with an investigation of the context of their production, and the development of specific methodological tools of analysis.
Research goals are:
• provide an overview, as thorough as possible, of architecture exhibitions organized in Italy from the 19th century to today;
• focus on experimental exhibitions which present theoretical reflections that contributed to defining significant design criteria;
• identify the narrative methods used to present historical-artistic, design, preservation, etc. contents to the publics;
• provide a historical-critical framework to institutions and architects committed to redefining the functions entrusted to exhibitions;
• highlight critical aspects useful for framing the position of architecture exhibitions regarding current issues such as digital turn,
sustainability, human rights, etc;
• create open-source knowledge tools, to be updated also beyond the duration of the PRIN, and intended as the first step of a
network of studies on the theme of architecture exhibitions with potential international development.
The project goals are achieved through:
• the critical mapping of the architecture exhibitions produced in Italy over the given time period, made available through an open-access, web-based platform in Italian and English;
• the in-depth analysis of specific case studies, divulged by the publication of essays. 

Research Unit

University of Bologna
Anna Rosellini (Principal Investigator), Sandra Costa, Alessandro Paolo Lena, Roberto Pinto, Stefano Setti
The research unit of the University of Bologna is particularly involved in the scientific project of the publishing series Radical Exhibited Thought. Exhibitions of Architecture. The series consists of volumes published in digital version on the open access platform of the University of Bologna (AlmaDL) and in print format.

University of Udine
Matteo Iannello (Head of Local Unit), Andrea Capriolo, Vittorio Foramitti, Orietta Lanzarini, Veronica Locatelli, Luca Pietro Nicoletti
The research unit of the University of Udine is in charge of the creation and scientific design of a web-based platform. The platform is structured to be dynamic, to facilitate the collective updating and sharing of data and will be used: for the publication and dissemination of files and essays; for the sharing of rights-free research documentation; for the uploading of anthologies, video interviews, photographs and projects.