MICHELE DE LUCCHI TAKES THE CREATIVE LEAD
At Milan’s Palazzo dell’Arte, Michele De Lucchi has been appointed the first creative director of Triennale Milano, taking on a newly created role that will shape the institution’s cultural direction through 2030. The architect and designer will also lead the Museo del Design Italiano, overseeing its permanent collection and future acquisitions.
His appointment was announced on July 14th, 2026, as President Vincenzo Trione and General Director Carla Morogallo presented Triennale’s strategy for the next four years.
The appointment closes a curious circle for De Lucchi, who recalled protesting against the 1973 Triennale while he was still a student. More than half a century later, the architect and designer says he hopes to turn the institution into a ‘laboratory of vitality,’ guided by what he calls the ‘sustainability of the collective imagination.’
At the design museum, his plans include extending the collection into more recent periods and shifting attention from finished objects toward the ideas and working conditions behind them. He has also pointed to artisans as an essential part of the Italian design story.
Michele de Lucchi | image © Delfino Sisto Legnani
A FOUR-YEAR PLAN BUILT AROUND QUESTIONS
Under the new strategy, each year will begin with a guiding question that feeds the exhibition program and continues through research, publishing, and public events. The space outside Palazzo dell’Arte will again host public art commissions by international designers and artists, reviving a format associated with the institution’s historic exhibitions.
Triennale’s reactivated Centro Studi will define the annual themes and help shape the 25th International Exhibition, scheduled for 2028.
De Lucchi will work within a new advisory structure alongside Manuela Lucà-Dazio, who will oversee architecture. Andrea Viliani will lead contemporary art, while specialist consultants will contribute across the institution’s wider program.
The plan also expands Triennale’s educational role through advanced professional courses and a doctoral research program. Its exhibitions and activities for 2027 will be presented in November 2026.
Palazzo dell’Arte | image by Matteo Pasin © Triennale Milano
Michele De Lucchi, Carla Morogallo, Maria Porro, Vincenzo Trione, Manuela Lucà-Dazio, Andrea Viliani | image by Gianluca di Ioia © Triennale Milano
project info:
institution: Triennale Milano | @triennalemilano
location: Palazzo dell’Arte, Milan, Italy
creative director: Michele De Lucchi | @micheledelucchi
additional role: Museo del Design Italiano director
president: Vincenzo Trione
general director: Carla Morogallo
strategy period: 2026 — 2030