May – June 2022

Artists: Amira Rossi, Filippo Barbagallo, Ludovica Romeo & Ebba Gustavsson Södergren, Vittoria Sbodio

Curated by Amira Rossi, this exhibition is not art or fashion. It can be both or neither. It is the representation of a concept through fashion and photography. This photoshoot results from the vision and work of four different students in Fashion Styling and Creative Direction: Ebba Gustavsson Södergren, Ludovica Romeo, Amira Rossi and Vittoria Sbodio, and a collection designed by Istituto Marangoni Firenze alumnus Filippo Barbagallo. Art, fashion, styling and dance mix together as an escape from the rubble of our lives and brains.

CURATORIAL TEXT by Amira Rossi

“This exhibition is not typical. It’s not about real works of art but a fashion photoshoot. Still, there’s something about these photos that makes them different. There is a story. A story based on dynamism. A story that speaks about people. Because fashion in the end is nothing more than a means to a hopefully higher end.”

Everything stems from the teamwork of four second-year students in Fashion Styling and Creative Direction – Ebba Gustavsson Södergren, Ludovica Romeo, Amira Rossi and Vittoria Sbodio. And a collection, also created by an Istituto Marangoni Firenze alumnus, Filippo Barbagallo.

The project, however, was not intended as a marketing tool, but rather as an editorial. The shots do not speak of the collection; instead, they are inspired by it or use it as an entire narrative medium. The primary purpose of this photoshoot is not to emphasise a garment, but to depict a concept.

We live in a world where being in a crisis seems to be forbidden. Yet, crises always await us around the corner. Traumas, obstacles, and collapses. The constant struggle not to give up, the hope of being able to survive. It becomes crucial to find suitable means, a way out of the tunnel of problems. Surviving is not enough when you want to live at all costs.

Then experimentation comes into play, and the game starts. We are looking for that side of us that can still add some colour to grey days. We disguise ourselves as art. We use fashion as a tool of social, personal, sexual and psychological revenge.

We make risky choices, but never so right. Right because they can set us free. We naively approach life as a spasmodic urban dance, where everyone is allowed to move at will. A dance that resonates with empowerment. Overwhelmed by dust, we dance. To escape from the rubble, we dance. We dance because, deep down, we know that it is the only way to be finally happy.