One of the first installations you will encounter at the Triennale di Milano is Grenfell Tower: Total System Failure. It’s an apt title for the horrific tragedy that unfolded in the early hours of June 14, 2017, when a fire engulfed a council housing tower in London, U.K., killing 72 people. From the bottom up, an evil brew of forces beyond the control of residents seemed to have converged to foment the disaster, from the value-engineered building renewal project to the catastrophic municipal fire policy to the abdication of responsibility by all in positions of power when it came time to support survivors.
The tower’s aluminum composite cladding, a low-cost retrofit meant to redeem the concrete “eyesore” in well-to-do Kensington,...
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Triennale di Milano Puts Global Inequalities in the Spotlight
Stark realities and glimpses of optimism commingle in the wide-ranging exhibition, with curation by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Beatriz Colomina, Theaster Gates and numerous other major design and art talents.