Past Future is an exhibition (opening during next Triennale Design Week, April 4-9) which tells the story of one hundred years of handicraft, following the common thread of weaving; the juxtaposition of objects from various eras reveals their surprising affinities and their profound connection to the Sardinian culture and environment. Sardinian handicraft was renovated during the Fifties through the action of the I.S.O.L.A. (Sardinian Institute for the Organization of Handicraft), a regional agency whose mission included artifacts’ redesign, artisans’ training, manufacturing and sale of products. A forward-looking institution in its own time, led by the designer and artist Eugenio Tavolara, I.S.O.L.A. organised biennial exhibitions that attracted visitors and buyers from all over the world. I.S.O.L.A.’s example inspired several recent projects, among which is DOMO (Compasso d’Oro 2011), which enlisted more than thirty designers and sixty workshops, pointing at new possible scenarios for craft design. In the wake of I.S.O.L.A., the best contemporary craft practitioners interpret in new forms the spirit of an ancient culture. The exhibition has been curated by Giuliana Altea and Roberta Morittu. Exhibition design: Alessandro Floris; graphic design: Stefano Asili; multimedia project: Chiara Ligi; multiscreen installation: Nicolò Ceccarelli and Laboratorio AnimazioneDesign.
