The exhibition of one of the most famous creative duos in the world of fashion is held from April 7 to July 31 at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. The exposition presents an almost immersive show to the audience, the visitor is practically not allowed to get distracted or bored, he is led from room to room, in each of which he is immersed in the special world of two artists, creators of their unique brand, throuth their philosophy and style.
There is so much here at once that on the one hand, it is a wonderful opportunity to see as many works as possible, to see how the boldest and even crazy ideas, reworked with the heritage of Italian culture, history and art, take shape, become the embodiment of chic, fashion, and a thing in itself, and on the other hand, you want more space to examine every detail, to walk around from all sides.
But you won’t be allowed to take a breath. Starting from the entrance, on the huge screens, climbing the stairs of the famous Palazzo Reale, you will be enchanted by video installations with technogenic mannequins on one side and fantastic choreography on the other.
Behind the black curtain of the first doorway you will find yourself in a room where the rhythmic knocking of the loudspeaker will merge with your own heartbeat. Because what unexpectedly opens before you, you are unlikely to be ready for it. The riot of colors and textures of the costumes on the mannequins together with ironic paintings in golden frames that refer us to famous works of art from different eras is reflected in the mirrored ceiling.
The second hall greets with the sounds of breaking glass, mirrors all around and chandeliers are repeatedly reflected on the walls and ceiling. Gold, crystal and candles echo the costumes presented here, fabrics are embroidered with multicolor stones.
From the boudoir-cocktail mood we move to the third space.
Ladies and gentlemen, the ball!
The hall with the painted ceiling has a different atmosphere and aesthetics, so moving from hall to hall, and in total 9, you are immersed in different worlds of fantasy, references to various historical costumes and musical accompaniment, black lace with gold, this is the altar that the mysterious lady worships, we see her only from the back, but the train of the dress facing the viewer impresses with gold embroidery, embroidery on heavy black material.
The Sicilian hall, the most carefree and one might say masquerade, is painted from floor to ceiling with folk motifs and masters; in general, the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition is not only a triumph of thought, objections, professional careers of two couturiers, but also their recognition of the enormous heritage of Italian and world culture.
The halls are dedicated to ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire and, of course, the theater, famous opera productions. In this hall, mannequins dressed in costumes as characters, themselves seem to be guests in the theater lobby, where respectable gentlemen in tailcoats buy tickets to the box.
Between all this magnificence in the middle of the exhibition you pass the workshop, where the other side is shown – the workshop, painstaking work, craft and art at the junction.
Inspiration from the history of Italian art is the leitmotif of the entire exhibition, you may not agree, it may seem that what is done is recycled and secondary, but of course the authors put in not only their vision, their experience, but also everything that they have accumulated in their lives, in terms of intellectual capital.
Each room is accompanied by jewelry pieces from the Alta Gioielleria collection and accessories – bags and shoes. These are special objects, transformed from utilitarian into art objects.
All this luxury multiplied by replicas of the most famous elements of architecture, sculpture, even mosaics of early Christianity, the sacraments of Catholic masses, the general style and aesthetics developed over the years by the house of Dolce and Gabbana, out of passion for their work, the entire exhibition has become a kind of manifesto of mastery, and one can say all the achievements of civilization in the field of art.
Yes, it turned out to be pompously, diversely, one would even like to separate them from each other to examine them from all sides. But the scale of the creative thinking of the famous duet amazes, fascinates and inspires, and this is ultimately the goal of the exhibition.
photos Ekaterina Mungalova, Nina Vetvinskaia
