Renaissance of the Real USM x Snøhetta, with Annabelle Schneider

During Milan Design Week, Fondazione Luigi Rovati is hosting Renaissance of the Real, an installation by USM and the architectural firm Snøhetta, presenting Swiss artist and designer Annabelle Schneider. The project is on display in the Foundation’s garden and invites the public to discover the value of a sensory experience.

We live in an age of digital hyperconnectivity and constant communication noise: our attention is fragmented and detached; we are disconnected from our surroundings and from our own sensations. Renaissance of the Real offers a different experience: slowing down, reconnecting with space, objects, the body, and presence. It is an exploration of the human need for sensory experience, physicality, and relationships.

At the heart of the installation is the USM Haller modular system, which transcends its role as furniture to become a true architectural structure supporting a soft textile membrane that slowly expands and contracts, creating a sort of “breath.” The result is a space that is half object and half environment - a sort of “refuge bubble” where the precision of geometric lines coexists with a tactile dimension.

Snøhetta’s design defines the installation’s form by situating it within a space - the garden - and creating “a place within a place,” an intimate and immersive environment meant to be both seen and experienced. Visitors do not merely observe; they can enter the work, inhabit it, and enjoy a multisensory experience: the installation engages multiple senses - sight, touch, and sound.

The installation is situated in a significant space within the Foundation - the garden - which was designed by landscape architect Marilena Baggio as an intimate, secluded space that remains open to the public. The installation blends seamlessly into this setting, reinforcing the garden’s role as a place of well-being and artistic experimentation.

Architecture and design play a central role for Fondazione Luigi Rovati: the museum’s design, by MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects, has transformed a historic building in the city center into a new, contemporary space dedicated to archaeology and contemporary art. The installation thus carries this vision forward.

The collaboration with USM extends to the museum’s interiors, featuring seating and furnishings in the Hall, the Shop, the exhibition spaces, and the reception areas.

During Milan Design Week, the Art Museum will be open on an exceptional basis from Tuesday, April 21, to Sunday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visitors who access the installation in the garden (by registration) will be able to purchase a discounted ticket for admission to the Museum.

Renaissance of the Real

USM x Snøhetta and Annabelle Schneider

April 21 - 26, 2026

Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Admissions

€16 Full Price / €12 Reduced Price / €11 Reduced Price (ATM Cardholders) / €8 Teen (ages 11–18) and for those participating in the garden experience

Free admission: children 10 and under, people with disabilities accompanied by a caregiver