Andrea Branzi: self-education

The afternoon seminar takes place on the occasion of the exhibition Andrea Branzi by Toyo Ito. Continuous Present (on view until October 4, 2026) organized in collaboration with Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, and aims to explore the artist, designer, and architect’s long teaching career. It traces his path from his early academic experiences in Florence, through the founding of the Global Tools continuing education school, to his role as director of the Industrial Design department during the early years of Domus Academy—the first postgraduate design school—followed by his collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, and culminating in the establishment of the Scuola di Piazza Bausan. Revisiting these experiences, friends, collaborators, students, and colleagues offer an overview of the themes he explored and the extensive research he conducted on the deeper meaning of design and the human condition, developed through the courses, workshops, and doctoral programs led by Branzi.

The event opens with a lecture by architect Iñaki Ábalos on the influence of Andrea Branzi’s and Toyo Ito’s thinking on contemporary design, at the intersection of disciplines.