Within the framework of the EUROPALIA international arts festival, which dedicates its current edition to Spanish creativity, the Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID) au Grand-Hornu in Belgium presents a comprehensive exhibition titled Patricia Urquiola: Meta-Morphosa. Positioned as an “exhibition-manifesto,” the show analyzes the mutability of contemporary design, tracing a complex trajectory from raw material to industrial process, and from artisanal tradition to technological regeneration.
The exhibition is structured to challenge the viewer’s relationship with change, posing critical questions regarding the evolution of matter and the shifting parameters of beauty. Urquiola’s practice is noted for the convergence of often contradictory currents—disparate colors, forms, and sounds—which are synthesized into cohesive works. In Meta-Morphosa, this approach results in a proposed new aesthetic, described as a formal and cultural mutation. The curatorial selection juxtaposes functional objects with non-functional artistic pieces, presenting them alongside research projects from Urquiola’s studio that prioritize the investigation of innovative materials.
An architect and designer of international standing, Urquiola serves as the Art Director for Cassina, a position she has held since 2015. Her academic background includes training at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Polytechnic of Milan, where she completed her studies under the mentorship of Achille Castiglioni. In 2001, she established her own studio, which operates at the intersection of industrial product design, architecture, and strategic consulting.
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Her influence on the discipline has been recognized through significant institutional accolades. In 2025, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities awarded her the National Design Award in the Trajectory category, the country’s highest honor in the field. Additionally, she was inducted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 2024 and has received the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts. Her work is currently held in the permanent collections of major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Vitra Design Museum in Basel.
Exhibition Information
Venue: Centre d’Innovation et de Design (CID) au Grand-Hornu, Belgium.
Dates: December 14, 2025 – April 26, 2026.
