The Triennale Milano International Exhibition

The special project, A Clay Biography, curated by artist Theaster Gates tackles inequalities from the standpoint of lost and found craftsmanship and aims to transform the space of Ettore Sottsass’s Casa Lana into a research facility dedicated to a vast collection of Japanese ceramics from the town of Tokoname, known for its ancient pottery traditions. The collection, called the Koide Collection, is named after Yoshihiro Koide, a Japanese potter whose artisanal legacy is at risk due to the lack of heirs. The exhibition explores the history and the decline of this craftsmanship, as well as its resurgence in the contemporary art world. Miniatures and large figures from the collection are presented, along with bronze casts of everyday objects, which are displayed throughout the space. The project is part of the 24th International Exhibition Inequalities.

The 24th International Exhibition, under the title Inequalities, will run from May to November and is organized by the International Expositions every three years since 1923, inviting designers, architects and artists from around the world to engage with a key contemporary theme. After tackling the themes of sustainability with Broken Nature (2019) and the mysteries of the universe with Unknown Unknowns (2022), the 24th International Exposition closes this trilogy by focusing reflection on the human dimension and addressing an urgent and political issue such as the growing inequalities that characterize cities and the contemporary world. Inequalities is a collective project that, through exhibitions, installations, special projects and events, questions the global challenges related to the differences present in various spheres of existence: from economic to ethnic, from geographic origin to gender.