The Exibit at MUDEC: Barbie becomes a piece of art
A contemporary icon who stepped out of her plastic skin to become a piece of art, it may sound a little over the edge but Barbara Millicent Robert, AKA Barbie, is the protagonist of the exhibition Barbie. The Icon, open until March 13 2016 at the Museo delle Culture (MUDEC) in Milan.
Calling her a doll would be belittling. Barbie is a global icon, who in her 56 years of life managed to knock down every linguistic, cultural, social, and anthropological barrier.
Barbie. The Icon iscurated by Massimiliano Capella, produced by 24 ORE Cultura – Gruppo 24 ORE, and promoted by the Comune di Milano-Cultura and by 24 ORE Cultura – Gruppo 24 ORE in collaboration with Mattel. The exhibition tells the story of the incredible life of a doll/woman (aged only on her birth certificate) that has interpreted the aesthetic and cultural transformations of society for more than half a century. Barbie is known worldwide as a symbol of beauty, this is a fact; creating an exhibit around the blond doll is an unusual choice for the MUDEC and it will capture the interest of a city like Milano, always eager for new cultural trends.
Barbie. The Icon comprises 5 sections preceded by an introductory room called Who is Barbie?, it contains 7 iconic as well as representative pieces for each decade from 1959 (when Barbie “was born”) to the present time. In addition to a timeline, fun facts, numbers and the global making of Barbie so that visitors will instantly know just who Barbie is.
The Barbie doll is an icon because -in 56 years of life- she has had the privilege of breaking down any social or cultural barrier representing some 50 different nationalities,150 different working careers and much more.
Barbie. The Icon will showcase the whole Barbie myth through different years, focusing mainly on her fashion side. Some numbers? Since 1959 Barbie landed on the Moon, has been Unicef ambassador and has had one billion dresses made up of 980millions of meters of fabrics. She has changed during the years, but always bolstering her identity as a mirror of time for the global imagination
Do you still think that Barbie is “only” a doll? Come to MUDEC, discover her world and you’ll change your mind.
