Biennali/Triennali of Monza and Milan through the collections of Castello Sforzesco

These artefacts, made in Austria and Romania, were exhibited at the 1st International Decorative Arts Exhibition and are an example of how cosmopolitan the vision and context of decorative arts exhibitions was. Alongside national sections divided into regional pavilions, international sections were presented with manufactures from all over Europe. The exhibition thus became an opportunity to compare and update the styles of the various nations.

The two vases by the glass artist and ceramist Marcel Goupy are from Paris and were exhibited as a model of national refinement in the French section at the First International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza in 1923. His glassware is decorated with coloured enamels that echo geometric and floral designs and anticipate the Art Déco style.

With the artistic direction taken by Guido Andlovitz in the Laveno factory, traditional Lombardy ceramics were rediscovered and a modern production, accessible to all social classes, was launched and succeeded in establishing itself on the market. The floral and figurative decorations on a white background took up the 18th century Lodi tradition, renewing it in synthetic and modern forms.

The two cistas were donated in 1930 to the Milanese Civic Collections by the Augusto Richard Foundation. Created with the aim of increasing the collection of ceramics at Castello Sforzesco, it purchased several artworks at the 4th, 5th and 6th Triennale. These porcelains are exceptional examples of the new production of the Richard Ginori factory, directed since 1923 by Gio Ponti, which succeeded in combining the quality of artistic craftsmanship with the seriality of industrial production.

The two stained glass windows came into the Castle's collections after the 4th Monza Triennial Exhibition in 1930. One was purchased, the other donated by the Cappellin house. They were made from the drawing by Mario Sironi and Achille Funi, two of the most significant exponents of the Milanese Novecento art movement that influenced the style of the works presented at the Triennale from 1930 onwards. The two works demonstrate the excellence of early 20th century glass production.

After the Triennale of 1930, it was decided to move the International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts from Monza to Milan, to the Palazzo dell'Arte built by Giovanni Muzio in Sempione Park and inaugurated on the occasion of the 5th Triennale in 1933. Among the works presented at the first Milan Triennial Exhibition, the five large majolica panels by Dante Morozzi are noteworthy, documenting the growing interest in public art and wall decorations.

From 1923 to 1936, the collections of applied arts at Castello Sforzesco were enriched with over 100 new works, acquired from the Biennali and Triennali of Monza and Milan. The 6th International Triennale of Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1936 was the last at which important acquisitions were made. The glass vase with iron wool from the Crepuscolo series by Ercole Barovier and the vase by the Milanese ceramist Irene Cova constitute exceptional documents of the production of that period.