In the face of the climate emergency and the need for an ecological transition, the transformation of the cultural sectors requires a deep overhaul of operating modes and professional practices, especially in the field of exhibition design. This piece of research examines the integration of exhibition-module reuse as a true act of care, reaching beyond technical and budget considerations. It analyses how exhibition designers address these challenges by developing strategies to reuse and optimise resources, thus helping to redefine the discourse and practices of the discipline today. The case study focuses on the exhibition Home Sweet Home (Triennale di Milano, 2023), recognised for its use of existing structures such as exhibit components, tables and modules. The theoretical framework mobilises the inputs of exhibition design, care ethics and maintenance studies, in connection with the concepts of regenerative design and ecodevelopment. In methodological terms, the research is based on the triangulation of data: field observation, documentary analysis and an interview with one of the exhibition’s designers. The findings are intended to enrich thinking on the ecological transition of temporary exhibitions by identifying innovative practices to do with managing, reusing and upcycling exhibition modules – thus contributing to the advent of a new ethics of temporary design.
