Tonight sees the launch of the inaugural project for ZegnArt: the first of a structured set of activities by the Ermenegildo Zegna group dedicated to the art of our time, and designed to create a dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds –
Who? Tonight sees the launch of the inaugural project for ZegnArt: the first of a structured set of activities by the Ermenegildo Zegna group dedicated to the art of our time, and designed to create a dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds – business and culture. For this, their debut, the fashion house has collaborated with multi-disciplinary artists Lucy and Jorge Orta, who have created works specifically for the environs of the MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome.
What? Under the curatorship of Maria Luisa Frisa, fashion critic and Director of Fashion Design at IUAV University of Venice, this first ZegnArt project sees the worlds of fashion and art blended harmoniously within the stunning surroundings of the MAXXI museum. Entitled “Fabulae Romanae” or “Roman Tales”, it is a complex installation that expresses both recurring environmental preoccupations of the artists themselves, shown in the tent structures and “Refuge Wear”, and also new work specific to the exhibit's Rome location: namely “Spirits”, an immense large screen video performance, featuring ethereal figures interacting with the architecture of the city.
Why? This project marks a pivotal moment not just for the artists, curators, and companies involved but also within a wider context of fashion’s interaction with the arts. Following the record-breaking success of the Alexander McQueen exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum, and Swarovski’s pioneering collaboration with AnOther Magazine and artist Baillie Walsh on KM3D-1, it is clear that there are exciting opportunities for creating new discourses between art, fashion and business. In this, the initial foray for ZegnArt, there is an arresting combination of factors at play – due to the creation of artwork that not only excites and inspires, but is also a reflection of the principals of ethics and sustainability that form the philosophy of Zegna itself.
Fabulae Romanae, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and commissioned by ZegnArt, opens today as part of Tridimensionale at MAXXI - National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome, and runs until September 23.
