ADI Design Museum, Milan
Curated by Nodesign.net (Jean-Louis Frechin, Angelo Chiacchio, Loïc Le Guen) and Matteo Ragni
Exhibition Design: Matteo Ragni e Chiara Selmi
Graphic Design: Francesco Franchi
Video: Angelo Chiacchio
Racing bikes, city bikes, gravel bikes, electric bikes, and cargo bikes, including indoor cycling models and folding bikes. The exhibition Bicyclette: Another Tour between France and Italy provides a unique perspective on cycling by exploring how the design of bicycles has evolved into sports gear, fashion, lifestyle, and a social phenomenon, while also fostering a dialogue between French and Italian production.
Curated by Nodesign and Matteo Ragni, the exhibition offers an overview of bike design’s development, from its historical roots to the most significant contemporary innovations. Showcasing iconic models that mark key moments in bicycle functionality, the exhibition explores the similarities and differences that have shaped its evolution.
Legendary bicycles, alongside recent creations born from Europe’s renewed creativity and production, are featured.
These projects highlight a range of genres, styles, and functions, revealing how more than a century of diverse approaches have forged connections between the two design schools.
Originating in France and evolving in Italy, the bicycle has been a key player in European history, becoming more than just a mode of transportation: a symbol of freedom.
From the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia to its daily use for work and leisure, and even during pivotal moments like World War II, the bicycle has become a design innovation emblem, a sports icon, and a symbol of craftsmanship, continually renewed to meet modern consumer demands, from sustainable urban mobility to high-performance solutions.
Jean Louis Frechin of Nodesign emphasizes that this exhibition is a celebration of the bicycle’s return as a symbol of modernity: “Today, we’re witnessing a revival of bicycle production in Europe, where the bicycle is not just a vehicle but a powerful tool for cultural change. We want to share this European culture, reflected in some of the most beautiful stories and bicycles from both sides of the Alps.”
Matteo Ragni, curator of the Italian selection and exhibition design, adds: “The bicycle has always been the focus of inventors and visionaries. In this exhibition, we wanted to honor the models that have shaped generations, from iconic pedal choppers to the first folding bikes, and the brands that have defined cycling history. This selection is a tribute to passion, innovation, and the hope for a sustainable future.”
Sustainability has indeed made the bicycle a symbol of its challenge, shared with the design world. The rise of electric and pedal-assisted bikes has also spurred a rethink of urban furniture to meet the needs for e-bike charging and parking.
The exhibition highlights gentle mobility, with a focus on design objects for electric vehicle charging, provided by Repower, a partner of both the exhibition and museum.
Repower promotes sustainable energy and electric mobility through charging stations that double as tools for communication and socialization, like the E-Lounge bench and the DINAclub bike rack. Fabio Bocchiola, CEO of Repower Italy, states: “This exhibition offers an opportunity to reignite discussions on the central role bicycles play in a well-balanced mix of contemporary transport solutions, inspired by intermodality.”
The Institut français is proud to support Bicyclette: Another Tour between France and Italy, “an exceptional journey where innovation, tradition, and sustainability converge, fostering a fruitful dialogue between the two countries.
The Institut français Milano is committed to highlighting the connection between French and Italian design, through this exhibition and a series of professional meetings.
It was during a Nodesign conference at the Institut français Milano in 2023 that the idea for this exhibition was conceived: just like the 2024 Tour de France, the exhibition features stages in both France and Italy—from its initial run at the Cité du Design in Saint-Etienne in 2022 to its new version at ADI Design Museum in 2024.”
“This is not merely a tribute to a design icon,” concludes Luciano Galimberti, president of ADI. “The exhibition confirms our long-standing focus on a unique theme. Starting with track bikes (Laser by Colombo and Erzegovesi, Compasso d’Oro 1991), followed by widespread enthusiasm for a universally admired vehicle (Campagnolo accessories, Compasso d’Oro 1994, and the Zoombike folding city bike by Richard Sapper), it culminates with the electric bike, which is redefining not just the function of the vehicle but the very shape of today’s cities.”
