I'm proud to share a project that holds great meaning for me as a designer, educator, and coordinator of the BA in Graphic Design at IED Milano: MUDEC Wall. Born from the collaboration between MUDEC – Museo delle Culture, IED Milano, and Arte Pubblica, this initiative transforms via Ventimiglia into a powerful open-air gallery through the language of poster art.
The project accompanies and anticipates the MUDEC exhibition Travelogue. Stories of journeys, migrations, and diasporas (March 20 – September 21, 2025), and remains on display until June 2025. It’s a public, accessible, and deeply emotional experience — and one that I’m incredibly honored to have helped guide.
22 Students, 7 Countries, 1 Collective Voice
The core of MUDEC Wall is the work of 22 talented IED Milano students from across the globe — Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Serbia, Ukraine, Guatemala, and Turkey — each bringing their unique perspective, culture, and vision to the project.
Over the course of several weeks, these students visited MUDEC, explored the exhibition themes, and created original artworks on paper, translating the concept of “travel” into a rich variety of visual languages. Their posters reflect deeply personal interpretations of migration, exploration, discovery, and introspection.
Under the thoughtful guidance of my colleague Benedetta Spreafico and in collaboration with the renowned La Tigre design studio, this project became not just an academic exercise, but a moment of personal and professional growth for everyone involved.
Interpreting something as broad and intimate as “travel” within the limits of a poster is a complex challenge. Yet these students succeeded in capturing that essence — not just through technique, but through empathy and storytelling. Each poster tells a story. Together, they form a visual diary that invites passersby to slow down and reflect.
Walking along via Ventimiglia, from Porta Genova to MUDEC, you don’t just see posters — you see fragments of people’s lives, emotions, and memories. What was once a neutral city wall is now a canvas of shared humanity.
For me, MUDEC Wall is a perfect example of design as dialogue: between cultures, between disciplines, and between artist and viewer. It’s a reminder that graphic design isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about building connections, amplifying voices, and shaping new ways of seeing the world.
As an educator, it’s incredibly rewarding to witness how our students rose to this challenge with professionalism, curiosity, and creativity. They understood the depth of the themes, and they responded with authenticity.
“I’m proud to see how our students not only grasped the essence of the Travelogue exhibition, but tackled this challenge with the creative and professional mindset that IED works hard to instill.”
MUDEC Wall isn’t just a companion to the Travelogue exhibition — it’s an experience in its own right. One that lives in the streets, with the people, and speaks all languages. Whether you're walking by on your way to work or visiting MUDEC for the first time, I invite you to take a moment to look, feel, and connect.
Because sometimes, a poster is more than a poster — it’s a passport to someone else’s world.
The authors of the posters - coming from Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Serbia, Ukraine, Guatemala and Turkey - are: Anna Airoldi, Ugnė Andriejūnaitė, Eleonore Berdondini, Angelica Fiore, Caterina Frattin, Maria Caterina Galli, Anna Gladysheva, Christina Iris Ishiba, Kateryna Katruk, Majed Maatugh, Elisabetta Nari, Mattia Pansera, Miriam Peverada, Mariana Porras, Noemi Sofio, Benedetta Tagliabue, Melisa Tulunay, Lukas Urbsys, Abamulu Viganò, Fiorella Villagràn, Mattia Volpe, Giovanni Zanette.
Video Credits: Videomaking: Andrea Sinopoli / Lorenzo Rolesu - Editing: Nicole Parente / Rossella Rizzo - Sound: Cristian Capponi
