Abito

Italian project culture has always stood out for its ability to intertwine disciplines, languages, and visions, giving shape to a complex narrative that reflects the identity and evolution of society. In this scenario, fashion and design represent two closely connected fields, complementary expressions of a project-based knowledge capable of combining aesthetics, function, and innovation.

From this awareness, the exhibition ABITO was born, a cultural project promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, curated by the studio Palomba Serafini Associati. It was set up, as the first stage of an international itinerant path, in the spaces of Salone del Mobile, in Milan, the capital of fashion and design, a symbolic place of contemporary project culture.

The title ABITO already encompasses the conceptual core of the project. The word ABITO indeed belongs to two semantic universes: it indicates the garment worn by the body and, at the same time, recalls the verb “abitare” (to inhabit), that is, the way humans occupy and experience space.

The core of the exhibition was represented by the social evolution of the role of women. The changes in women’s clothing, from constraint to progressive freedom of movement, from posture to access to public roles, narrated a broader process of cultural transformation. At the same time, design and everyday objects also evolve, reflecting new behaviors and new ways of living that change over time.

In comparison, Made in Italy design objects still in production recall the evolutionary path of Italian project culture, and garments, which unlike design follow fashion seasonality. For this reason, the displayed garments take on the value of precious testimonies of a particular historical and cultural moment. A way not to lose the collective memory of these objects, which remain important expressions of Italian culture and creativity

— Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba