Heide Museum of Modern Art has today announced a new exhibition showcasing many of the most significant achievements in the history of twentieth-century Italian design, presented by WeBuild and supported by the Italian Australian Foundation and John and Rose Downer Foundation. On display from 26 October 2024 to 23 March 2025, Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design tells the remarkable story of how, through the marriage of Italy’s rich craft tradition, technological advances and a capacity for creativity, experimentation and invention, Italian design became admired throughout the world.

Molto Bello: Icons of Modern Italian Design brings together more than 170 objects spanning the sixty year period from the first Milan Design Triennale in the 1930s to the Memphis Group of the 1980s. Held across Heide’s Main Galleries and Heide Modern, the exhibition celebrates key figures in the industry and their enduring contribution to global culture. From the dynamic early work of architect–designers such as Gio Ponti and Carlo Mollino, through the ingenious and stylish creations of Gae Aulenti, Joe Colombo, and the Castiglioni brothers, to the quirky and provocative Radical Design movement, Memphis Milano, prominent design figures Ettore Sottsass, Nanda Vigo, Gaetano Pesce, and more.