FENDI, the luxury brand based in Rome, Italy, is showcasing its continued respect for Italian craftsmanship with the exhibition "Hand in Hand," which will run until November 28th at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, the monumental building where the brand is based in Rome.

This cutting-edge exhibition celebrates collaboration, bringing together artisans from across Italy who bring their skilled traditional techniques, or craftsmanship, to the table. Launched in 2020, the project's ever-evolving grassroots partnerships with artisans across Italy focus on accessories and the Baguette bag, designed by Menswear Artistic Director Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997 as both an icon and a canvas for constant transformation. This unique project showcases the traditional skills of artisans across Italy, whose exceptional craftsmanship adds a new chapter to Fendi's history of constantly reinventing the iconic shape of the Baguette bag. The Hand in Hand project, commissioned by various ateliers across Italy, transforms Baguette bags into veritable works of art, applying traditional local craft techniques. The name Hand in Hand reflects the unique collaboration between artisans from across Italy and Fendi, combining their respective hands to bring to life precious, time-honored craftsmanship and create one-of-a-kind pieces. In addition to leveraging artisanal skills to create products, Hand in Hand also fosters a strong network of relationships, an important step toward preserving and passing on the rare craftsmanship, creativity, and savoir-faire of Italian artisans. The results are sumptuous and diverse, ranging from luxurious precious metals and gemstones to intricate mosaics, pristine cotton embroidery, and the beauty of perfectly shaped leather.


The exhibition will feature 20 "Hand-in-Hand" baguette creations in the gallery space on the first floor of Palazzo d'Arte Italiana. Each one was handcrafted in collaboration with artisans from different regions and provinces of Italy. The 20 regions participating this time are: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Aosta Valley and Veneto. The exhibition's spatial artwork invites an incredible collision of digital and physical experiences, showcasing the artisanal processes at play in the project within a historical and cultural narrative. Floor-to-ceiling LED screens reflect the marble floors of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, showcasing the extraordinary patience and mastery of the artisans as they sketch designs, prepare materials, and use time-honored techniques, revealing the precious secrets of ancestral craftsmanship.


Centered around a 30-meter-long installation of a polished black multimedia craftsmanship table, the exhibition sets the stage for an immersive atelier simulation, where precious Baguette bags are displayed surrounded by the materials and tools used to make them. From weaving and embroidery to silversmithing, leather inlay lace, tapestry and mosaics, 20 intricate processes are revealed in a series of video documentaries embedded in each workstation, taking visitors on a journey through Italy and inside the family-run workshops and artisanal organisations scattered across the country.

The "Hand in Hand" exhibition is open to the public by advance reservation and entry is subject to certain conditions. For more information, visit the official website, fendi.com.

#FendiHandInHand
Event Period: Saturday, October 30, 2021 - Sunday, November 28, 2021
Address: Quadrato della Concordia, 3, 00144 Roma
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana




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