To mark the centenary of the founding of the Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, the exhibition “Palazzo Treccani” arrives in London, thanks to the support of the Italian Cultural Institute. Originally curated by the Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana and designed by Dotdotdot, the exhibition was made possible with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC), the Central Institute for Archives (ICAR), and partner Intesa Sanpaolo.
The project presents the value of Treccani’s knowledge heritage in an innovative space and format: an imaginary museum that organises knowledge into systems and invites visitors to reflect on key themes of our century, offering tools to better understand the complexity of the world around us. The public is invited to explore and retrace the history of Treccani through a curated journey featuring facsimiles of illuminated manuscripts and Renaissance drawings, graphic art, design objects, and fine handcrafted pieces produced by Treccani. The “Salone Impossibile” section stages a symbolic encounter among various figures who have shaped the history of the Institute over the years. The voices of Massimo Bray, Rita Levi Montalcini, Mimmo Paladino, Emilio Isgrò, and Alessandro Mendini come together in a choral and evocative narrative of Italian culture.
The London stop of the exhibition, following its debut in Shanghai, was inaugurated in the presence of the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for Publishing, Senator Alberto Barachini; the Director General of Treccani, Massimo Bray; the Director General of Archives at the Ministry of Culture, Professor Antonio Leo Tarasco; and the Deputy Ambassador of Italy to the United Kingdom, Minister Plenipotentiary Riccardo Smimmo.
“The value of Treccani is fundamental,” stressed Francesco Bongarrà, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, “as a tool for the dissemination and study of complete, verified, and up-to-date information. Its translation into English would offer the world an invaluable resource for truly universal and unbiased knowledge”. Massimo Bray thanked Director Bongarrà “for choosing to host this stage of our global exhibition tour at the Institute in London” and reminded those present that Treccani remains “the only encyclopaedic institution of its kind still active in the world today, and as such, must be safeguarded and further developed”.
