Design: MIMESIS Forma Immagine Exhibit Extended Until September

MIMESIS Forma Immagine, An Elegant Fusion of Art, Architecture, and Design has been extended until the 30th of September 2024.

If you are in the Puglia region this summer take a detour to Martina Franca in the Itria Valley of Apulia. It is a picturesque town renowned for its Baroque architecture. The town features charming streets and rich cultural heritage.

At its heart stands the Palazzo Ducale, a 17th-century Baroque masterpiece once home to the noble Caracciolo family. Today, the palace is a vibrant cultural center, hosting exhibitions, concerts, and events. Its opulent interiors and elegant courtyards offer a glimpse into the town’s historic grandeur. This makes it a must-visit destination in southern Italy.

EXHIBIT EXTENDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

MIMESIS

Curated by

Patrizia Catalano and Maurizio Barberis

Ducal Palace, Martina Franca (TA)

Piazza Roma, 28

The MIMESIS Forma Immagine exhibition, a hallmark of the HoperAperta project, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Festival della Valle d’Itria by elegantly intertwining art, architecture, and design. After its successful stint at the Milan Design Week 2024, this captivating showcase has now graced the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca, courtesy of the Paolo Grassi Foundation, and will remain open until September 30.

MIMESIS is a passionate convergence of various creative disciplines, featuring collaborators like the New York Institute of Technology’s Department of Architecture and Design, a loyal partner of HoperAperta in 2022 and 2023. This exhibition, akin to past events in Milan, Genoa, Barcelona, and Soglio, thrives on a dynamic dialogue between diverse fields, fostering a synergistic relationship among art interpreters.

Drawing inspiration from Plato’s Republic, Mimesis suggests that any designed, imagined, or created object, when re-envisioned with different potential uses, involves three degrees of approximation: relation, transformation, and representation. The initial form, independent of function, marks the first point of Mimesis, leading to a process of identification and symbiosis between different image-forms. This concept explores relationships such as space-time, light-movement, and the interaction between object-image and its ideal staging, transforming practical functions into theatrical works of art.

The exhibition invites a dialogue on these themes among participating artists and architects. Maurizio Barberis delves into the theatricalization of utilitarian objects; Alfonso Femia navigates the synthesis between temple imagery and Vitruvian theater; Armando Bruno revisits Francis Bacon’s conceptual cage; Elena Salmistraro explores symmetrical figures. Spagnulo & Partners stage the interplay of light and time, while Carmelo Zappulla designs a piece reflecting contemporary urban light variations.

Additionally, the New York Institute of Technology showcases seven innovative projects by graduates of the Fabrication and Robotics course, led by Fadhil Fadhil and Alessandro Melis.

The exhibition features works by:
Maurizio Barberis, Armando Bruno, Dorian X, Fadhil Fadhil with the New York Institute of Technology, Alfonso Femia, Cristina Fiorenza, Duccio Grassi, Federica Marangoni, Alessandro Melis, Daniele Menichini and Nicolas Turchi, Steve Piccolo, Elena Salmistraro, Studio Spagnulo & Partners, Davide Valoppi, Alberto Vannetti, and Carmelo Zappulla.

Mimesis collaborates with esteemed companies such as Cromonichel, De Castelli, iGuzzini, Gonzato Group, Julia Marmi, Marmi Faedo, Artisans Loving Robots, Panzeri, Sprech, and Zeus, known for their excellence in lighting, material processing, and sustainable practices.

Supported by AIPi, the Italian Association of Professional Interior Designers, the exhibition also partners with Pelliken, a startup specializing in digitizing products and artworks, to create an interactive, navigable model of the exhibition, accessible on hoperaperta.com.

All was made possible with the generous support by Rossana Muolo and the Hotel Sierra Silvana in Selva di Fasano (BR).

EVENT

EXTENDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

the exhibition

MIMESIS

Curated by

Patrizia Catalano and Maurizio Barberis

Ducal Palace, Martina Franca (TA)

Piazza Roma, 28

In collaboration with:

• Paolo Grassi Foundation
• Martina Franca
• New York Institute of Technology, New York
• The School of Architecture & Design 

With the support of:

• Puglia region
• Municipality of Martina Franca
• Order of Architects PPC of the Province of Taranto