La tradizione del nuovo, triennale Milano, © DSL Studio
The fifth episode of season 2 of From the Moon attempts to consider what might be called the "tradition of the unknown". There is, in fact, a vast—perhaps timeless—tradition of inquiry into the unknown and this episode delves into it using the exhibition La tradizione del nuovo, presented in the context of the 23rd International Exhibition, as a starting point. The Tradition of the Unknown sees the host of the podcast, David Plaisant, dialogue with Director of Museo del Design Italiano Marco Sammicheli and philosopher Emanuele Coccia.
Marco Sammicheli
The first thing you see when you step into the show are doors. For two reasons. The first one is because usually, when you visit a design museum, doors, windows tabs, this sort of neglecting objects are never on display. And the second reason was "how can I portray the unknown to a very general audience"? And so, I thought, like in a normal movie, behind the door, usually there're two things: the killer or the safety of your house or your nest.
David Plaisant
Many figures, and many who were not in fact, Italian men, were to come to Milan in this phenomenally fruitful and eclectic period, where experimentation was as important as business and profit. The Triennale, with its international exhibition taking place every third year, and a whole other roster of events became the main hub of the world's design scene.
Emanuele Coccia, Portal of Mysteries, © DSL Studio
Emanuele Coccia
Happiness, in a way, depends on the way you can, at the same time, not just reduce this unknown to something new, but to have a sort of intimate relationship with this sphere.
© DSL Studio
Emanuele Coccia
David Plaisant is a freelance journalist and writer based in Italy. He began his career in London, where he worked in architecture and design advocacy groups and then as a design writer and radio producer for multimedia brand Monocle.
Marco Sammicheli is curator of Design, Fashion and Crafts sector at Triennale Milano and Director of Museo del Design Italiano. For the 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition Unknown Unknowns. An Introduction to Mysteries he curated the exhibition La tradizione del nuovo and Ettore Sottsass. Il calcolo. He curated exhibitions and catalogs for international galleries and museums, including in 2022 Triennale Milano. Una storia attraverso i manifesti (Triennale Milano. A History trough Posters) at the Palacete das Artes at Salvador, Brazil.
Emanuele Coccia is an Italian philosopher who has been teaching at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris since 2011. A specialist of Averroes and medieval and modern Averroism, he has drawn an original reflection on the images and medial nature of sensitivity, including the statute of goods. Recently, he studied the metaphysics of plant life. For the 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition he has been curator for publications and for the video installation Portal of Mysteries, which serves as an introduction to the Exhibition.
Credits
Host: David Plaisant
Project management: Pale Blue D°t
Sound editor: Alex Portfelix
Soundtrack: Jon Arnold of Super Drama
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