The exhibition celebrates the legendary Italian car designer Marcello Gandini, blending his iconic work with new creations by VCUarts Qatar students. It runs at the National Museum of Qatar from 22 April to 2 June 2025.
Qatar Auto Museum has launched Ultraleggera: A Design Journey with Marcello Gandini on Tuesday. A venture created between Italy and Qatar, the exhibition is co-produced by the future Qatar Auto Museum (QAM), Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin (MAUTO), and VCUarts Qatar.
“The exhibition originates from the vision and tenacity of VCUarts Qatar Associate Professor Simone Carena, who in 2022 successfully convinced Marcello Gandini to embark on his first-ever masterclass project in collaboration with QAM and VCUarts Qatar,” according to a press release by Qatar Museums
The exhibition was unveiled by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums. In attendance were also Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO, Qatar Museums; Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Thani, Director of National Museum of Qatar; Paolo Toschi, Ambassador of Italy to Qatar; Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region; and Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of Turin.
The exhibition is the result of the Marcello Gandini Masterclass Project Moving Interiors with Marcello Gandini, a collaboration between QAM and VCUarts Qatar.
Inspired by Gandini’s groundbreaking legacy, this initiative allows students to deeply engage with his design philosophies. Gandini (1938-2024) is known as the inventor of the supercar, and his iconic designs – including the Lamborghini Miura, Countach, Diablo, and Lancia Stratos – continue to influence the automotive world.
The exhibition is a tribute to his profound impact on design.
As project leader and art director, Professor Carena also serves as co-curator of the exhibition alongside Marzia Gandini, the daughter of Marcello Gandini and Founder of Think PR.
The exhibition contents are co-developed by the curators and Gautam Sen, author of the latest monograph on Gandini’s design legacy.
Celebrating the groundbreaking principles of one of the automotive world’s most influential figures, Ultraleggera centers on Gandini’s revolutionary lightweight design philosophy.
The exhibition will debut as part of Qatar Creates 2025 at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) from 22 April to 2 June 2025 before travelling to MAUTO in Turin from 19 June to 31 August 2025, where it will be accompanied by the first Summer School on car design, organised in collaboration with Turin Polytechnic and Marcello Gandini Studio.
Dr. Hessa Sultan Al Jaber, President of Qatar Auto Museum, described Marcello Gandini’s work as “a defining part of automotive design history” and emphasized that the exhibition presents “a powerful opportunity to honour his legacy.”
Al Jaber said the showcase creates a meaningful dialogue between Gandini’s iconic designs and the innovative contributions of VCUarts Qatar students, bridging “past and present, Italy and Qatar,” celebrating both his influence and the fresh perspectives of emerging local designers.
Benedetto Camerana, President of MAUTO, expressed his enthusiasm for launching “a vibrant start to our long-term international collaboration with the Qatar Automobile Museum.”
Camerana said that both the Gandini Masterclass Project with VCUarts students and the upcoming MAUTO Summer School in Turin aim to showcase “the power of young design as a creative process capable of building bridges between generations and cultures.”
The showcase integrates models, sketches, and prototypes on loan from Gandini’s studio, offering a rare glimpse into the evolution of his visionary work.
With “movement” as a key theme—both as a design element and a symbol of cultural exchange—the exhibition challenges spatial, cultural, and creative boundaries.
On view are experimental works created by VCUarts Qatar students through the Moving Interiors With Marcello Gandini Masterclass, with a special focus on 3D-printed “moving interior” installations and models that reflect their interpretations of Gandini’s design philosophies.
Amir Berbić, Dean of VCUarts Qatar, described the exhibition as “a significant milestone” in the school’s efforts to foster creative innovation and cross-cultural collaboration with Qatar Museums.
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