Patricia Urquiola presenta la mostra TRANSITIONS per la Florence Biennale

On the occasion of the 15th edition of the Florence Biennale, scheduled from October 18 to 26 at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Patricia Urquiola – architect, designer, and art director of the company Cassina – presents the exhibition "Transitions," an installation reflecting the core of her design methodology. The exhibition, housed in an exclusive dedicated space, guides the public through a journey of form, function, and emotion, inviting them to traverse space and matter, to grasp their essence, and to imagine new possibilities.

The exhibition is defined by a semi-transparent wall constructed of recycled fir wood and polycarbonate. It serves as a filter that allows glimpses of the structure and invites a change in perspective, encouraging the discovery of connections that only emerge by moving through space. The pieces on display are presented as milestones in a research journey spanning materials, forms, and processes. Each piece originates from a curiosity to experiment and a constant dialogue with clients with whom Urquiola has collaborated for years, intertwining industrial techniques and artisanal gestures, innovation and memory.

Among her creations on display, the Mon-Cloud armchair for Cassina stands out, reinterpreting the concept of comfort with soft forms and a particular focus on circularity. Comprised of a metal skeleton enveloped in recycled polyester fiber padding and soft cushions in recycled polyester, Mon-Cloud is the result of a design approach focused on the theme of circularity. Through experimentation with innovative materials, the use of polyurethane has been minimized, limited to inserts in CIRCULARREFOAM®, made with a percentage of recycled polyols. Furthermore, no part is glued: the armchair can be disassembled 99.85%, promoting material recovery and recycling at the end of its life.

Alongside these contributions enriching the context of the Florence Biennale is also Gruuvelot for Moroso, a modular system behaving like a transforming organism. Its organic volumes and freedom of configuration amplify its sensory and symbiotic component: the surfaces not only welcome but seem to grow and adapt, as if the object itself were in continuous transformation. This metamorphosis is also reflected in the coverings, made with a water-based printing technique that reduces water consumption by 90% and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to traditional processes.

The path also includes the Vieques bathtub for Agape, born from an architectural project in the Caribbean islands. Initially conceived for a specific location, it became a product, retaining that memory. The object evokes the image of old tubs, with its enameled metal structure wrapped in iroko wood slats, reinterpreted in a contemporary key, transforming a familiar archetype into an essential and timeless object.

While Mon-Cloud represents a decisive design advancement for the furniture sector, thanks to its material and structural innovation, Mutina's Mater surfaces tackle the same theme through ceramics: glazed relief tiles where each piece carries slight variations, traces of the manual process that become an integral part of the product, making the material alive, unique, and never repetitive.

Finally, the Babar table for Glas Italia brings the theme of transformation to a radical level: 100% recycled glass is reassembled into a new and organic material, made from glass grit and vegetable resins. In this contrast between natural and artificial, between randomness and design, Babar finds its expressive strength: each piece is unique, with irregular surfaces and colors that change with the light, creating ever-changing landscapes.

In addition to the pieces already mentioned, other works by Urquiola for companies like Andreu World, B&B Italia, Bitossi, Budri, CC-Tapis, EDIT Napoli, Flos, Kartell, and Kettal will also be on display at the Fortezza da Basso.

It is worth noting that on Thursday, October 23, at 5:00 PM, in the theater area of the Florence Biennale (Spadolini Pavilion, Fortezza da Basso, Florence), Patricia Urquiola will receive the International “Leonardo da Vinci” Lifetime Achievement Award (Design), in recognition of her outstanding contribution to contemporary design. The award ceremony will take place in the presence of the designer, as part of a special event.

PATRICIA URQUIOLA: BIOGRAPHY
Trained at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and Milan, where she graduated with Achille Castiglioni, Patricia Urquiola now operates with great versatility in fields ranging from product design to architecture, graphic exhibitions, and interiors. Since 2015, she is the Art Director of Cassina and collaborates with important design companies like Flos, Moroso, Driade, GAN, Andreu World, Glas Italia, Kartell, Kettal, Kvadrat and international groups such as, among others, Haworth, BMW, Boeing, Louis Vuitton, Missoni, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Four Seasons, Marriott Group, Starbucks, Ferrari, and Swarovski. In Spain, she has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Fine Arts and the Cross of Isabella the Catholic. In 2023, she was recognized as one of the new Honorary Ambassadors of Marca España. In 2024, she was appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. In the same year, she was awarded the title of Knight of the Republic by the President of the Italian Republic in recognition of her merits. In 2025, Patricia Urquiola received the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and University.
Bestowed with numerous awards and international accolades, Patricia Urquiola has been named Designer of the Year by Wallpaper, Elle Décor International, AD Spain, Architektur&Wohnen, and many other publications. Her creations are part of the permanent collections of some of the most important museums in the world, including the MoMa in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Triennale Museum in Milan, the Museum of Design in Munich, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Vitra Design Museum in Basel, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Design Museum in Zurich, the Stedelijk Museum of modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam, the Design Museum in Barcelona, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

For more information on the program of the 15th edition of the Florence Biennale, visit https://www.florencebiennale.org/