Milan, October 2009 - Florence celebrates the work of
the great artist Mario Mariotti
by creating the photography
exhibition "Animani", on display from
27 November 2009 to 6 April 2010
at the IDI's exhibition centre.
It is co-promoted and organised by FILA -
Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini and IDI -
Istituto degli Innocenti di Firenze, two Florentine institutions
working towards bringing culture to children through play.
The artist, graphic designer and illustrator Mario
Mariotti, who died 12 years ago, was able to "play" with
art, involving children in fun, creative actions and experiments.
The subject of his creations exhibited here are hands, the first
instrument of expression: hands that are transformed through
colour, taking the forms of elephants, ducks and zebras,
footballers, conductors or athletes.
In parallel to the exhibition, educational workshops will be
held in which children will be the star artists and have the
opportunity to understand and reproduce Mariotti's work. The
exceptional tool designed by FILA to allow little
ones to re-create what they see at the exhibition is the special
FILA-Giotto
Animani pack with a special guide by the artist's
daughter Francesca Mariotti, in
collaboration with IDI, with step-by-step
instructions, using photos and detailed explanations, for
reproducing the colourful "Animani".
The same kit, a useful tool for reliving the exhibition at home,
even for those who have not visited it, will be on sale to the
public at the Bottega dei Ragazzi and traditional
sales outlets. In this way, a tool will be provided to promote and
diffuse art through play and introduce children to the world of
culture.
The agreement between FILA - Fabbrica Italiana
Lapis ed Affini, which has always been committed to children's
issues, and IDI- Istituto degli Innocenti di
Firenze, the top institution that has been working for six
centuries in favour of families and childhood, has thus
been renewed. The support of the two Florentine institutions - IDI
and FILA - for children, began in 2006 and is further concretised
today with the creation, promotion and management of
cultural and creative events and activities dedicated to
little ones.
The exhibition forms part of a broader programme involving
numerous other activities organised in Florence, such as the
journey of discovery Mani
nell'Arte (Hands in Art): a circuit of guided
tours and educational trails at the Museo
Archeologico Nazionale and the Museo
degli Innocenti in order to discover the symbolism and
meanings associated with hands and gestures from Antiquity to the
Renaissance; and A più mani (With Many Hands): a
circuit to discover craftsmen, artists and creators who, with their
"many hands", have made and continue to make major contributions
towards enriching the city's cultural life. In addition to this,
the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze will host a study day
dedicated to the relationship between contemporary creativity and
the appreciation of our historic artistic heritage.
FILA, with its brands, Giotto, Giotto be-bè, Das, Pongo, Tratto
and Didò, has strong links with children and their culture.
Promoting education and creativity amongst children and adults
is a genuine company mission
which has always found an extraordinary partner in the Istituto
degli Innocenti.