The first stop of the traveling exhibition “Archivio Creatività Italiane” opened on January 29 at the Italian Cultural Institute in Oslo. The exhibition is promoted by the Directorate General for Growth and Export Promotion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN).
The exhibition explores Italian creativity from ancient times to the present day, combining artifacts from the MANN Museum with Italian design objects such as the Bialetti Moka Pot, Piero Fornasetti‘s vase featuring the face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri, the TS502 Radio (known as Radio Cubo) designed in 1962 by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Brionvega, the Taccia lamp by the Castiglioni brothers for Flos, and the sophisticated Grazie dei Fiori vase by Gentucca Bini produced by Bitossi.
We also find fashion sketches by Sylvio Giardina, and accessories such as the Cabaret clutch by Benedetta Bruzziches or the Topo ballet flats by Enzo Albanese, as well as artisan creations, such as the set of nativity scene figures by Neapolitan Ulderico Pinfildi or the typical Caltagirone ceramics, which take us on an ideal journey through Italian traditions.
The interplay of references and quotes between works and artifacts is a key element of the exhibition: in this regard, an exemplary case in point is the presence of the original headdress created by Oscar-winning costume designer Danilo Donati for Pier Paolo Pasolini’s movie The Gospel According to St. Matthew, displayed alongside a reproduction of the work that inspired its form, the fresco cycle of the Stories of the True Cross, depicted in the print “Piero della Francesca” by Daniele Vergari.
Curator Clara Tosi said: “The first stop of the exhibition in Oslo is an important test of a new narrative project: archives as a tool for continuity, for gathering creative ideas that transcend the conventions of time, form, and role. It is also a new narrative project because it is designed to travel and engage with places and other cultures,” commented curator Clara Tosi.
The exhibition is open in Oslo until March 24. It will then continue its journey to the Italian Cultural Institutes in Warsaw, Krakow, and Prague.
