In people's eyes, you see what they will see, not what they have seen.
Alessandro Baricco
The exhibition "Transitions: Business - Work - Society" was designed by Fondazione Ansaldo in 2023 and reorganized in 2024 with a focus on Milan, thanks to the collaboration with the School of Architecture, Urban Planning and Construction Engineering.
This exhibition, the fourth in the Polytechnic Culture Exhibitions cycle, explores the theme of transitions triggered by industrial development through photographs and films from Fondazione Ansaldo's vast archival heritage, further enriched by images from other institutions, artworks from museums and private collections, and the work Magnetic Nanoparticles, specially created by artist Michelangelo Penso.
The exhibition was created under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, with support from Leonardo S.p.a, Fondazione Cariplo, Historical Archive of Fondazione Fiera Milano, Assolombarda, and the contribution of Fondazione AEM – A2A Group. The major transitions triggered by industrial development are the themes around which the exhibition path unfolds, divided into three macro-areas: business, work, and society, with particular attention to the history of Milan. This offers a privileged viewpoint for understanding the complex changes that have led the city to become, in just over a century and a half, the driving force and pride of Italian industry, economy, and culture.
Fondazione Ansaldo preserves a vast documentary heritage that tells, in a cross-cutting way, many of the transformations that occurred from the second half of the nineteenth century through the entire twentieth century, not only in business strategies and entire production chains, but also in society and customs, touching on other important aspects such as impacts on the territory.
With the mid-nineteenth century and the industrial revolution, a profound process of change also began in Italy, destined to have important repercussions on territories and communities. Scientific discoveries and technological progress became increasingly central, and the resulting transformations influenced society, increasing opportunities for well-being and improving quality of life. However, it was with the third industrial revolution, a pillar of modernity following World War II, that new previously unthinkable perspectives opened up for humanity: electronics, automation, information technology, atomic energy, and much more. These transformations are still ongoing, in an increasingly changing scenario.
The rich photographic and audiovisual collection from Fondazione Ansaldo's archives is enriched by numerous images closely linked to Milan and its territory from the Historical Archive of Fondazione Fiera Milano, the AEM Historical Photographic Archive, Fondazione AEM – A2A Group, the Breda Historical Archive – Melara Museum Association, and the Famiglia Meneghina Library – Società del Giardino. These materials are further enhanced by a substantial selection of artworks useful for better understanding the close relationship between art, industry, and society, loaned by museums and private collections such as Gallerie d'Italia, the Flavio Costantini Archive, Galleria Martini & Ronchetti, and Politecnico di Milano. Thanks to the collaboration with the latter, Jonathan Guaitamacchi's polyptych "Epigenesis," composed of seven distinct large-format works, is exhibited in the show. Jonathan Guaitamacchi's works arise from the artist's powerful experience in the symbolic place of Milan's industrialization, the AEM Gas workshop in Bovisa.
Finally, completing the exhibition path is the artwork Magnetic Nanoparticles by Michelangelo Penso, created with repurposed industrial materials specifically for the exhibition in Genoa, thanks to the support of Confindustria Genova and Chamber of Commerce Genova, and readapted by the artist for the Politecnico venue. "The installation of the Transitions exhibition in Milan represents another step in the journey undertaken by Fondazione Ansaldo to enhance its Historical Archives over recent decades," states Raffaella Luglini, President of Fondazione Ansaldo. "With this exhibition path, the Foundation offers the city of Milan and its visitors the opportunity to enjoy a precious selection from its archival heritage, with the aim of promoting reflection on themes that are still very relevant today: the transitions of the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century, which involved business, work, and society, and for many of which, business itself was the main driver of change. The collaboration with Politecnico di Milano was fundamental in achieving another important objective: bringing the Foundation and its Archives beyond the traditional Genoese and Ligurian boundaries where it originated."
"Milan is historically recognized as the cradle of industrial innovation. Even today, in the digital era, it stands out as an undisputed reference point for technological culture and creativity. The exhibition, curated together with Fondazione Ansaldo and placed within the framework of Polytechnic Culture initiatives, fits into this context," comments Donatella Sciuto, Rector of Politecnico di Milano. "The city has always known how to combine tradition and modernity, science and art. This exhibition represents an opportunity, open to all Milanese, to explore the profound dialogue between past and present; to look, with even greater awareness, at future challenges, the evolution of the world of work, and the resulting socio-economic development dynamics."
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