“The victorious provisional architecture.” Conservation issues in the history of exhibitions and exhibition spaces in twentieth-century Italy

This essay reflects on historical research on the design of temporary exhibitions in Italy in the twentieth century, emphasizing the value of archival research. These provisional arrangements leave only drawings and photographs as memories. Two avenues of research are explored here: the journal Progex (1989-1994), edited by Giampiero Bosoni and dedicated to various themes of exhibition design, and the 2010 website “Exposizioni.com” a virtual museum of Italianexhibition design, supported by the Franco Albini Foundation and ASAL. These efforts underline the importance of project archives in reconstructing the history of exhibition design, a key field for architecture and design in Italy.