The Home of Italian Identity - The Strength of Beauty
A Journey through the Exhibition “The Home of the Italian Identity”
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Journey through the Exhibition “The Home of the Italian Identity”
The Home of Italian Identity was not an exhibition but a sensory and emotional project designed to make young Italians aware and proud of the many wonders of their country.
We therefore chose to adopt a contemporary language, devoid of any filters or museum conventions; a language based on a range of different perspectives and straightforward concepts, presented in an amusing and enjoyable way. In order to recreate the Italian identity Marco Balich, Artistic Director of the Italian Pavilion, toured Italy together with sociologists Giuseppe De Rita and Marco Bonomi, to show what Italy is like today.
Each region presented a worthwhile tale of expertise, one of beauty, and one concerning the future. The Home expressed this potential through technological and provocative displays, and the vital energy of the nursery – Italy’s driving force.
The potential identified brought together under four simple headings many of the contributions which Italy has to offer on the theme “Feeding the planet, energy for life”. The “Power of know-how” presented the stories of remarkable men and women capable of making the earth fruitful by loving and respecting it. The “Power of beauty” offered a marvellous journey to experience the “extraordinary panoramas” of Italian landscapes and architectures. The “Power of the future” featured a wonderful Italian garden, with a seed planted by each region – and a story for each seed – so as to turn the Palazzo into the garden of Italian biodiversity. Finally, the “Power of limits” illustrated how obstacles and difficulties can become a driving force for creativity and ingeniousness. In addition to all this, the Home also featured provocative displays such as “The Mediterranean without Italy” and “blind” sensory itineraries, along with artworks and markets: a rich and intriguing exposition that raised many questions and suggested a few answers.
The exhibition section marked in pink is the one dedicated to the "Power the Beauty ".
Italian Pavilion ExhibitionPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
Reality cannot be escaped here
This section starts with the Chaos Room and the TG NEWS WALL (monitors with a news feed geared to environmental emergencies), forcing visitors to face up to reality and consider, definitely, the state of our planet.
Chaos Room and DisastersPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
Chaos Room
After the initial shock, the visitor can experience the true power of Italian beauty through three different rooms, which display the country’s natural landscapes, the facades of historical buildings and artistic interiors.
Italian Beauty - Natural Landscapes
A system of mirrors endlessly reflects natural landscapes to create truly original images that give visitors a new view of beauty, providing them with an immersing experience.
The Strenght of Beauty - LandscapesPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
The Strenght of Beauty - LandscapesPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
Italian beauty - historical buildings
As the space gets narrower, the experience becomes increasingly catching, and architectures make their appearance, in an almost two-dimensional form, to increase the visitor’s feeling of “inclusion”.
The Strenght of Beauty - ArchitecturePadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
Streght of Beauty ArchicturePadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
The videos have a consistent horizon line, which is situated at the level of the average visitor’s eyes. The message is clear: “You are at the center of all this”.
Italian beauty - Breath-taking interiors
Last but not least, the kaleidoscopes.
Large details from the interiors of some of Italy’s most distinctive buildings, broken down into strange kaleidoscopes (from the Greek “to see beautiful forms”).
The Strenght of Beauty - InteriorsPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
The Strenght of Beauty - InteriorsPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
The Strenght of Beauty reborning
The Great School of Italian Restoration The things of beauty created through human ingenuity are also caught in a delicate balance: the relentless action of time and natural disasters can destroy works of outstanding value for mankind. Italy is home to a great School of Restoration, which we intended to celebrate.Strewn on the ground were shards which visitors were invited to tread upon, to “experience” a dilapidated heritage…
The Strenght of Beauty Reborn inPadiglione Italia Expo Milano 2015
On a large screen nearby ran a startling video with images of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi collapsing, knocking several people to the ground and killing four. A tragedy, in all respects. Immediately after this scene, we witness the Basilica emerge out of the dust of the collapse as it appears today, thanks to the remarkable restoration work carried out by a team of Italian experts. The ability to bring beauty back to life is also energy for life.
