Chicago, Dressing the Past: Outfits, Dreams and Memories of a XX Century Italian Writer. Paola Masino all’Istituto Italiano di Cultura
The Italian Cultural Institute in Chicago focused on the original connection between fashion and literature in presenting the book Album di vestiti (“Dress Album”), written by Paola Masino at the end of the ‘50s and remained unpublished until 2015. The editor, Marinella Mascia Galateria, from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, will illustrate the memories of this extraordinary writer who, also thanks to her friendship with Massimo Bontempelli and Luigi Pirandello, was an eye-witness of the era of the glamourous “divas” of the roaring 1920s and 1930s. The exhibition will display sketches drawn from the novel and will guide visitors through the magic and visionary world of Paola Masino.
Lijubljiana, design and sports . The 2017 “Compasso d’Oro Internazionale” Award
Alex Terzariol, a member of ADI management committee, and Elmar Stimpfl, founder of a company specialising in ski equipment and clothing, held an event dedicated to ‘Design in the sports industry’ at the Civic Museum in Lijublijana. It was organised by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Lijublijana and illustrated the activities of the Italian association for Industrial Design (ADI) with special reference to the “Compasso D’Oro Award”, whose second international edition will take place in 2017.
Lisbon, “Architecture and Design” at the Italian Cultural Institute
Architect Elisabetta Maino of the University of Bologna held an open class on “From spoon to city: Italian architects and designers” at the same time as a photography exhibition by Edoardo Romagnoli. Maino, reviewing the experiences of architects, engineers and designers, analysed the objects which placed Italy and its industrial sector at the highest levels in the world with special emphasis on Torre Velasca in Milan.
Professor Marco Mulazzani of the University of Ferrara gave a lecture on “Olivetti: design and architecture”. The lecturer, an editor with the magazine ‘Casabella’, illustrated the unique style of Italian products that have conquered markets and museum across the world by combining top quality technology and design.
Los Angeles, Italian influence on contemporary fashion
Dennita Sewell, curator of the Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum, gave a presentation on the influence of Italian fashion on contemporary fashion. She discussed the work of internationally acclaimed Italian designers who play a key-role in developing trends, and outlined some possible scenarios.
Canada – Montreal, Conference “Language and creativity: costumes, fashion and design”
Designer Alessandro Guerriero will talk about Italian as the “language of creativity” in a conference organised by the Italian Cultural Institute at the University of Quebec. He will illustrate how language grows out of the vivacity of the multifarious, of everyday life, when every element grows out of contrasting and reciprocal ties or through transformation. This is the “multifarious” world from which life and language draw meanings, values and trends. Costumes, fashion and design are precisely the expression of this plurality of forms in which lie people’s needs, wishes, styles and languages.
Belgium – Italian Cultural Institute presents the 2nd issue of the Cartaditalia series
The new “CARTADITALIA” edition maintains its original goal: to propose to the international market instruments to guide users through the broad selection of art and culture that Italy offers today, through real “maps” (as in the title). In this second issue, the magazine focuses its cartography on one of the creative activities that has most contributed to building the iconic image of Italy in the world: design. The magazine traces its history and geography through a number of surveys carried out by age groups and by mapping schools, movements, locations, institutions, publishing companies, archives, showrooms, galleries and prizes. The issue contains articles by Beppe Finessi, professor at the Milan Polytechnic and editor-in-chief of the magazine “L’Inventario”, and by Giovanna Massoni, consultant in the design sector.
Geneva – Conference on “Italian and Creativity: brands and lifestyles, fashion and design”
The Italian Cultural Institute (IIC) in Zurich will present at the Geneva University a lecture by Prof. Lorenzo Coveri, from the University of Genoa, and Ms Federica Fiori, fashion expert and journalist.
They will especially focus on the book entitled “L’Italiano e la creatività: marchi e costumi, moda e design“ (“Italian and Creativity: brands and lifestyles, fashion and design”) published by the Crusca Academy for the 16th Week of Italian Language in the World.
