The exhibition on craft and industrial creations promoted by the Ragghianti Foundation closed on 29 June: “Made in Italy. Destination America 1945-1954”. The exhibition, inaugurated on 5 April, took place at the San Micheletto monumental complex in Lucca and was organized by Paola Cordera and Davide Turrini. Multiple and important sponsors and sponsors: Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, Toscana Aeroporti, Banco BPM, the partnership of Ars Movendi – Florence, the patronage granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Consulate General of the United States in Florence, the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, the Regione Toscana, the Provicnia and the Comune di Lucca. The initiative wanted to celebrate the Italian creativity of the decade 1945-1954 through the exhibition of objects with original design that have conquered the US market, also from a cultural point of view. The relationship with the star-studded nation was the driving force behind the evolution and promotion of <>.
It ranges from shoes Ferragamo to the famous glasses Venini and ceramics Gio Ponti. An overview that also focused on numerous << paintings, sculptures and graphics, objects of applied art and design, fashion accessories, layout drawings, products and documentation>> of international scope, to tell the story of the creative process and ferment of the Italian post-war period. It was a parallel path to the institutional one in which relations between Italy and the United States were revisited in the light of the artistic productions Made in Italy of the 40-50’s.
As explained by the Ragghianti Foundation: <<Thanks to the efforts of entities such as CADMA (Commission Assisting Handicraft Materials Distribution) chaired by Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, CNA ( Compagnia Nazionale Artigiana) and Handicraft Development Inc. events of great importance for the dissemination of Italian products in the U.S. were organized, including exhibitions at the House of Italian Handicrafits (1947-1956), the traveling exhibition “Italy at Work” (1950-53) and trade shows hosted in prestigious stores such as Macy’s and Kauffman<>>.
A catalog of scholarly essays produced with the participation of authors with expertise on the subject was made available on the occasion of the recently concluded exhibition to take visitors on an exciting journey through the ingenuity of Italian creations. In parallel, an iconographic section equipped with in-depth texts turned the spotlight on the most iconic handcrafted and industrial objects of the postwar period, interpreted in the broader context of cultural relations with the United States, to tell the public the story of Italian manufactures along an extraordinary historical period, a flywheel of rebirth for the entire country in the aftermath of the terrible years of the conflict.
