Italian Threads has been extended to 20 June 2021.
The Estorick Collection is reopening to the public on 19 May 2021.
With the reopening of the Gallery, the exhibition Italian Threads: MITA Textile Design 1926-1976 has been extended to 20 June, to allow time for those of you who missed it last year to see it before it goes back to Italy.
Founded in Genoa in 1926, MITA (Manifattura Italiana Tappeti Artistici) was a celebrated Italian textile firm that earned its reputation by collaborating with some of Italy’s most talented artists and designers. Among these were Gio Ponti, Fortunato Depero, Arturo Martini, Emanuele Luzzati, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Giò Pomodoro and Ettore Sottsass Jr. Organized in collaboration with the Wolfsoniana, Genoa, Italian Threads showcases 50 years of bold commissions produced for world art fairs, private homes, clubs and ocean liners, encompassing the avant-garde movements of the day from Futurism to Abstract Expressionism.
Reflecting the expert craftsmanship and full diversity of MITA’s production, the exhibition features original works, designs and photographs illustrating the firm’s remarkable output. It includes rugs, carpets, tapestries, limited-edition art panels, printed fabrics, scarves and major commissions that carried the banner of modernism from the 1920s to the 1970s. The show traces an evolution of taste; MITA’s textiles travelled around the world, were shown in influential art exhibitions and defined the interior design of major Italian ocean liners (which Gio Ponti considered “floating art galleries”), as well as bringing the avant-garde into everyday life.
Founded by Mario Alberto Ponis, MITA was formed “with the aim of using new mechanical inventions in the manufacture of classic hand-knotted carpets”, merging new technologies with craft traditions for a characteristically Italian approach to industry
To ensure the safety of our visitors and staff, admission tickets to the museum must be booked in advance. A catalogue includes all the works featured in the exhibition and essays from curators Gianni Franzone and Matteo Fochessati, can be purchased from the shop.
The Estorick Caffè will reopen on the same day as the museum, with the following opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 11.00-17.00 and Sunday 12.00-17.00.⠀
Photo Credits: MITA Archive, M.A. Ponis, Nervi on loan to Wolfsoniana – Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura, Genoa
Mari Balsamà Wilson 