An itirenant exhibition traces the century-long history of Gucci

Rediscovering the garments, objects, and stories of the Gucci Archives of Palazzo Settimanni in Florence, renowned British artist Es Delvin and art and fashion historian Maria Luisa Frisa have conceived Gucci Cosmos, an exhibition exploring Maison's 102-year history through eight exhibition worlds. Like a portal that allows one to travel through time, the itinerant project inaugurated at Shanghai's West Bund Art Center on 28 April offers a unique opportunity to take a closer look at everything that has made the brand an icon of the Century, from the aspirations of founder Guccio Gucci to the avant-garde developments promoted by his sons Aldo and Rodolfo, and on to the modern stylistic imagery brought to the catwalk by the brand's most recent artistic directors, Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, and Alessandro Michele. 

Zoetrope

Due

Portals

Eden

For Delvin, reconstructing Gucci's evolution in Cosmos meant interpreting its «ability to evolve and, more generally, to expand following the evolution of our own consciousness and in step with our ability to implement cognitive changes. Like a garment that can be modified and readjusted, like skin that changes as it molts and is continually renewed.» A work of enormous ambition, from above the installation imitates gears, a reference to the industrial past of the West Bund Art Centre, while the exhibition paints a metaphor of cosmic orbits. «The Gucci Cosmos project was an extraordinary opportunity for me to once again traverse the Gucci universe with ever-changing suggestions,» said Frisa, «Gucci Cosmos is an immersive exhibition experience in which the tale of origins and history is continually challenged by the imagination of the future.»

Each of the eight realities on display corresponds to a specific aspect of the Gucci universe: the first world visitors pass through is Portals, which recounts how, at the Savoy in London, Guccio Gucci gave birth to the brand; we then move on to Zoetrope, which celebrates the House's link with the world of horse riding through elements such as the horsebit, invented by Aldo Gucci in 1953, while Eden takes up the naturalistic motifs that Rodolfo Gucci commissioned from the artist Accornero in 1966, an illustration conceived for a scarf destined for Princess Grace of Monaco that still represents one of the House's best-known graphics around the globe. Once past the first three worlds, visitors find themselves in front of Due, a pair of white statues symbolizing Gucci's artistic innovation in the field of unisex fashion.

Archivio

Cabinet of Wonders

Carousel

Duomo

Archive consists of a labyrinth of corridors, studded with wardrobes and drawers filled with Gucci's most iconic bags and some of their rare editions. The Cabinet of Wonders, a monolithic cube stained dark red, reveals to the visitor a selection of vintage garments that have marked the House's history, reflecting the audacity with which the designers who have been part of Gucci have interpreted its stylistic codes. This is followed by an anachronistic series featuring looks from the 1970s to the present day, flanked by drawings by Chinese artists such as Victo Ngai, Vikki Zhang, Li Jianmei, and Currynew, confirming Gucci's commitment to supporting cross-continental artistic collaborations. The last world of Gucci Cosmos, Duomo, returns to the brand's Florentine roots thanks to two mirrored reproductions that pay affectionate homage to the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. In a kaleidoscopic landscape, Gucci Cosmos gives each visitor a moment to let go, stimulated by a constellation of lights, flowers, and ancient motifs.