Design al femminile: 32 portraits of women designers at Milan's Castello Sforzesco
Through Feb. 7, 2025, the Italian Institute of Photography presents the exhibition "Design al femminile, il progetto sensibile" at Milan's Castello Sforzesco. A visual narrative through 32 portraits of international designers celebrating the connection between art, objects and meaningful places.
By Franca Manenti Valli | 26/01/2025 13:58
A dialogue between design and photography comes to life at Milan 's Castello Sforzesco with the exhibition Design al femminile, il progetto sensibile, an exhibition that celebrates the creativity and sensitivity of 32 international designers through the shots of 10 photographers from the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia (IIF). The exhibition, housed in Sala Bertarelli - Photographic Archives, will be on view until Feb. 7, 2025 with free admission.
Curated by designer Maria Christina Hamel, Design al femminile aims to be a journey into female creativity that explores the soul of design through portraits capable of telling not only faces, but also stories, emotions and personal ties. Each designer has been portrayed with a significant object that represents a special connection to her artistic or personal experience.
Thanks to the collaboration with the Civico Archivio Fotografico in Milan, the project becomes a unique opportunity to discover a sensitive interpretation of design, where each portrait is the result of an intimate process. The designers have chosen as the location of the shoot Milanese places with which they feel a deep personal connection, creating a fusion of style, memory and identity.
The protagonists and the photographers
The designers portrayed include distinguished names from the international scene. Here they all are: Luisa Bocchietto, Santina Bonini, Alessandra Bruno, Giorgina Castiglioni, Alessandra Titi Cusatelli, Anna Deplano, Manola Del Testa, Elisa Gargan Giovannoni, Ada Ghinato, Anna Gili, Nuala Goodman, Maria Christina Hamel, Marialaura Irvine, Shinobu Ito, Kazuyo Komoda, Dorota Koziara, Emi Ligabue, Eliana Lorena, Raffaella Mangiarotti, Ambra Margheri, Alessandra Mauri, Paola Navone, Sonia Pedrazzini, Daniela Puppa, Isabelle Rigal, Elena Salmistraro, Marta Sansoni, Beatrice Santiccioli, Patrizia Scarzella, Mara Servetto, Giovanna Talocci, Laura Villani. Each of them brings to the exhibition not only their face, but also their vision of design and the emotional relationship that binds them to their work.
The shots, entrusted to 10 photographers from the Italian Institute of Photography (Valter Belloni, Amedeo Bernardi, Martino Berni, Giovanni Borgia, Marialucia Campanella, Benni Giammari, Nicola Licitra, Davide Manzini, Miriam Mercurio, Stefano Pozzi), reflect a unique style in which the lens becomes the interpreter of the emotions and stories of the protagonists. Each portrait thus becomes a work of art, capable of revealing the complexity and richness of the female creative universe.
An exhibition of narratives and relationships
The exhibition aims to interweave visual storytelling and design, offering an experience that engages the viewer on multiple levels. Each portrait is accompanied by a text written by the designer herself, recounting the emotions, inspirations, and meaning of the object accompanying the shot. This dialogue between image and word creates a narrative dimension that enriches the visitor's experience, inviting them to discover the stories hidden behind each face and object.
The objects represent the heart of this narrative: they are symbols of a deep connection between creativity and personal life, a visual synthesis that tells of each designer's unique relationship with his or her work. They range from tools of the trade to everyday objects, each charged with a value that goes beyond function to become an expression of identity and belonging.
Also presented at the opening of the exhibition was the volume Design al femminile, the sensitive project, which collects the 32 portraits together with evocative texts written by the designers. The book stands as a permanent record of a project that celebrates not only design, but also photography's ability to tell stories and create emotional connections.
The exhibition is organized by the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia, a landmark for photographic culture in Milan. With its Art Side department, the IIF is dedicated to the dissemination of visual culture through exhibitions, events and publications. The Institute is also articulated in the cores School, dedicated to professional training, and Production, the photographic agency that collaborates with companies and organizations.
The exhibition can be visited at Castello Sforzesco, Sala Bertarelli - Photographic Archives, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, you can visit the official website of the Italian Institute of Photography: www.istitutoitalianodifotografia.it.
