From December 12, 2026, to March 14, 2027, Palazzo da Mosto in Reggio Emilia will host an exhibition featuring Denis Santachiara. “Estasi dell’artificio, design since 1966” is a major monographic exhibition dedicated to designer Denis Santachiara, a leading figure in Italian and international design, born in Campagnola Emilia. For the first time, the exhibition presents a comprehensive overview of more than sixty years of his work through a selection of projects, works, installations, products, and prototypes, with the aim of tracing the evolution of his design practice from 1966 to the present.
Throughout his career, Santachiara has developed a path characterized by the blending of different disciplines, creating a dialogue between technological innovation, experimentation, and a constant focus on the poetic and ironic aspects of design. His professional journey began in mechanical workshops and his early experiences in car design within Emilia’s “Motor Valley,” before expanding into contemporary art, interior design—including for art hotels—the design of sets for theater and film, and research into robotics and objects capable of coming to life or transforming themselves. More recently, the designer launched Cyrcus, an ecosystem dedicated to signature design and digital fabrication technologies.
The exhibition is accompanied by a book published by Corraini and edited by Chiara Alessi, which traces the designer’s intellectual journey. The book and the exhibition form a unified project designed to explore the designer’s aesthetic, centered on the concept of artifice.
The exhibition layout has been conceived as a sequence of spaces dedicated to the main conceptual themes of Santachiara’s work. Each room explores a specific theme through products, projects, prototypes, studies, and research materials, illustrating the process that leads from the initial intuition to the creation of the object. The works are presented as examples of a design method grounded in theoretical reflection and continuous experimentation.
The exhibition also explores the relationship that characterizes Santachiara’s work with design, architecture, and art, highlighting a conception of design as a cultural tool capable of interpreting and influencing everyday life. From this perspective, his work transcends the traditional boundaries of furniture design to engage with different spheres of contemporary design.
Ample space is also devoted to the designer’s self-taught background. The absence of an academic background is presented as one of the elements that contributed to the development of a perspective free from dogmatic approaches and fueled by personal interests. From experiences gained in Motor Valley and in the art world, a journey takes shape that progressively expands from Italy to the international context, documenting an increasingly interdisciplinary design vision.
The exhibition on the main floor concludes with a space dedicated to the immaterial dimension of design, in which design is presented as a language and a form of culture, as well as a tool capable of giving shape to objects and ideas. Alongside the main exhibition, there will also be a special section dedicated to the new generations of design, featuring works by designers selected by Santachiara himself. The initiative aims to create a dialogue between the Emilian designer’s work and new design approaches, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between established traditions and emerging languages.
 |
| Reggio Emilia is dedicating a major retrospective to Denis Santachiara, showcasing over sixty years of design |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
IT
FR
DE
ES
CN
