The Chemistry of Design. Designing Matter

Federchimica, in collaboration with ADI Design Museum, presents The Chemistry of Design. Designing Matter, an exhibition exploring the relationship between design and chemistry, starting from the role played by the transformation of matter in the development of modern and contemporary design.

From the earliest experiments with polymers to the evolution of ceramics, glass and textiles, chemical research has progressively expanded the expressive and functional possibilities of design, shaping a relationship in which design and chemistry now engage in a dialogue that defines materials and processes themselves.

Through a selection of products from different fields, the exhibition shows how matter can be generated, modified, regenerated or reimagined, offering tools to understand the role of chemistry as a condition that makes design possible and guides its transformations over time. The exhibition route stems from an analysis of the Historical Collection of the Compasso d’Oro and of the products selected in recent years by the ADI Design Index, with the aim of highlighting cases in which chemical research has played a decisive role in the development of materials and production technologies.

The exhibition will be previewed at ADI Design Museum in Milan with a capsule presentation anticipating the contents of the exhibition route. The full version will then be presented in Rome in November 2026.

An exhibition by Federchimica with ADI Design Museum
Marinella Ferrara: Exhibition Advisor
Andrea Rovatti: Art Director

Opening: 18 May, 12:00
Free admission