Marcello Morandini biography

Marcello Morandini was born on 15 May 1940 in Mantua and moved to Varese in 1947. From a young age, he showed an innate talent for art and design. He studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, where he developed his artistic skills and began working as an assistant designer for an industry and as a graphic designer for a professional studio.
In 1964 he opened his first graphics studio in Varese, marking the beginning of his professional career. His first solo exhibition was held in Genoa in 1965, curated by Germano Celant. During this period, Morandini began to explore three-dimensional forms, creating works that would be exhibited in significant exhibitions in Milan, Frankfurt and Cologne. In 1967 he participated in the "IX Biennale" of San Paolo in Brazil, followed by the "XXXIV International Art Biennale" of Venice in 1968, where a personal room was dedicated to him in the Italian pavilion.
1969 marks a year of international recognition for Morandini, who represents Italian art in Brussels during the “Europalia” events. In 1970 he began a collaboration with the gallery owner Carl Laszlo of Basel, which culminated in the important exhibition of 1972 at the Kestnergesellschaft in Hannover. Morandini continues to expand his artistic influence in Europe, organizing the second "International Symposium of Constructive Art Studies" at the Civic Museums of Varese in 1977.
The 1980s saw Morandini collaborate with renowned architectural firms, such as Mario Miraglia of Varese and Ong & Ong of Singapore, together with whom he designed the 38-storey Goldhill Center skyscraper.
In 1982 he received a scholarship from the DAAD which allowed him to spend three months in Berlin. During this period, he created an art and design exhibition at the Ceramics Museum in Cerro di Laveno. His international career expands further with exhibitions in Japan, Germany and other countries. In 1984, he designed a 220-metre facade for Rosenthal's Thomas porcelain factory and in 1987 he collaborated with Rosenthal again on the facade of the new administration building in Selb.
In the nineties, Morandini designed a sculpture at the entrance to the Museum für Konkrete Kunst in Ingolstadt and a 34-storey commercial building in Kuala Lumpur. His influence in the field of design is also manifested through collaborations with Sawaya e Moroni, Cleto Munari and Abitare Baleri, for whom he designs chairs, tables and furniture.
Since 1994 he has been a member of the jury of the Design Center of Essen and president of the International Museum of Ceramic Design in Cerro di Laveno. He teaches art and design at the Salzburg Summer Academy, at the Écal in Lausanne and at the Brera Academy in Milan. In 2000, Varese dedicated a retrospective to him and a catalog published by Charta.
In 2003, Morandini continued his teaching and creative activity, teaching at the HEAA watchmaking high school in La Chaux-De-Fonds in Switzerland. He is president of the Free Artists Association of the Province of Varese and in 2004 coordinated the project "Vivere Venezia 3" at the IUAV University of Venice. He designs a 10-meter sculpture for the square adjacent to the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, which opens in 2005.
2007 saw Morandini designing the architecture of the cultural center "Das kleine Museum" in Weissenstadt, Germany. In 2008, in conjunction with the Architecture Biennale, the Ca' Pesaro Museum in Venice held an important exhibition. His 11-metre sculpture, symbol of the Europäisches Industriemuseum Plößberg, was inaugurated in 2010.
In 2013, Morandini participated in the Racconigi International Sculpture Biennial and in 2014 he dedicated himself to the planning of two important personal exhibitions at the National Museum of Bayreuth and at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. In 2015 he participated in various exhibitions in Germany, Varese, Lugano and Fukuyama.
2016 is a year of experimentation for Morandini, with nine solo exhibitions in Italy, Austria and Germany, as well as two solo exhibitions at art fairs in Verona and Padua. In 2017 he inaugurated the MA*GA Museum in Gallarate, making his Marcello Morandini Foundation/Museum official.
Currently, Morandini dedicates himself to the Marcello Morandini Foundation, founded in 2016, and to the renovation of its headquarters in Varese, which also serves as a museum. He continues to work on new projects and contribute to the world of art and design with his unique and innovative vision.