"All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."
The City Beneath the City There are cities that dazzle with their surfaces, and others that live in the mind. Milan belongs to the latter kind, to me. Beneath its layers of glass, asphalt, and the relentless functionality everybody likes to boast, there lies another city:...
You don’t read me writing about the masters of architecture much, and those who’ve known me for a while will remember how critical I am of some of their contributions to the built environment, but I’ve always been partial to Piero Portaluppi, possibly because he...
Ignazio Gardella: who was this guy? Ignazio Gardella (born Mario in 1905 – 1999) was one of the most incisive and restless figures of Italian modernism, a man who managed to embody both rigour and a certain dose of rebellion (though never enough to convince him...
I know, I know, it's hot.And if you're still in Milan — maybe marooned here because of a project that just couldn't wait or simply because life sucks or because, on the contrary, you enjoy the empty city just as I do — I've got...
In a city that often hides its wonders behind unassuming façades, Casa degli Atellani is a palimpsest of Milan’s most profound historical, artistic, and architectural evolutions. And yet, this house — steeped in stories from the Sforza court to the 20th-century architectural revival — is...
Yesterday, on the eve of his 99th birthday, Arnaldo Pomodoro passed away in Milan, the city he elected as his own to live and work in. I decided to honour his memory and his legacy with one of my urban itineraries. A Life Dedicated to Sculpture Born...
From January 30 to September 8, 2025, the Osservatorio Fondazione Prada in Milan hosts "A Kind of Language: Storyboards and Other Renderings for Cinema," an exhibition curated by Melissa Harris. This showcase delves into the intricate pre-production processes of filmmaking, highlighting the pivotal role of...
Do you remember last month, when we took a stroll through Milan in the wake of Casorati's new exhibition at Palazzo Reale? I would be amiss if I didn't follow up with another walk inspired by another, great show, closing this month, so here we...
So, what's in town this month? Let's take a look at a couple of things you need to catch before they leave. Some of the things I highlighted last month are still on: Inequalities, Triennale Milano (till November 9th); the amazing I am Leonor Fini at Palazzo...
There’s a particular tension I carry with me when I walk into exhibitions like Art Decò: il trionfo della modernità. My heart irreversibly shuns away from some of the ideological implications of the movement - and I'm certainly more partial to liberty - and yet,...
