MOVIE ICONS. Oggetti dai set di Hollywood

FROM FORREST GUMP’S FEATHER TO HARRY POTTER’S WAND, FROM A STAR WARS STORMTROOPER HELMET TO THE BULLET FROM THE MATRIX: 120 PROPS, COSTUMES AND PIECES OF MEMORABILIA FROM HOLLYWOOD ON DISPLAY IN TURIN

One hundred and twenty original props, costumes and pieces of memorabilia from Hollywood film sets take centre stage in MOVIE ICONS. Props from Hollywood Sets, an exhibition organised by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in collaboration with Theatrum Mundi and hosted inside the Mole Antonelliana.

Curated by Domenico De Gaetano, Director of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin, and Luca Cableri, Director of the Theatrum Mundi gallery in Arezzo, the exhibition will open on 28 May 2024 in the presence of three-time Academy Award-winning production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo.

From the feather in Forrest Gump to Harry Potter’s wand, from a Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet to the bullet from The Matrix: these are just some of the original props on display at the Mole Antonelliana that have shaped the cinematic imagination over the past forty years.

The exhibition is not simply a survey of memorabilia from the major cult films of recent decades. Through iconic props and costumes, accompanied by posters and promotional materials from the Museum’s collection, Movie Icons takes visitors on a journey through cinematic genres and creates multiple layers of storytelling: from memories of the films and their stories to behind-the-scenes production and the many professions involved in filmmaking.
Each object also tells the story of an artistic practice that, over the course of just a few decades, has increasingly shifted towards the virtual and digital realms. This makes it all the more important to return to tangible objects and reflect on collecting and how it has evolved. The exhibits come from the collections of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Theatrum Mundi and Propstore.

Before the exhibition opening on 28 May, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema will host a special masterclass in the Temple Hall of the Mole Antonelliana, led by two Italian masters who have shaped the cinematic worlds of unforgettable masterpieces, both in Hollywood and beyond: production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, three-time winners of the Academy Award for Best Production Design.

Ferretti and Lo Schiavo will receive the Stella della Mole Award, the prestigious accolade presented by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema to some of the most distinguished figures in contemporary international cinema.

Long-standing collaborators of directors including Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton, they created the production design for major international films such as Gangs of New York and Hugo. Visitors can see costumes from the former along the Museum’s exhibition route, while the latter is represented by its celebrated automaton, displayed in the exhibition for the first time. This remarkable object can be seen as a precursor to the cyborgs and robots that populate both the cinematic imagination and the exhibition at the Mole Antonelliana.

The exhibition has been made accessible through an introductory video in Italian Sign Language (LIS) and eight Design for All panels placed along the exhibition route. These feature visual-tactile representations of 21 selected props in transparent relief, accompanied by Braille captions, audio descriptions in Italian, English-language audio content, and easy-to-read, highly legible typefaces.

Further accessible resources include a visual-tactile book available for consultation, featuring raised drawings on microcapsule paper, audio content in Italian and English, and Braille. The exhibition panels are designed for high legibility, while the film clips on display include Italian and English subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by the publication of the catalogue Movie Icons. Props from Hollywood Sets, edited by Luca Cableri and Domenico De Gaetano. In addition to presenting all the objects on display, the catalogue includes essays by Domenico De Gaetano, Bruno Di Marino, Ilaria Feole and Stephen Lane, as well as an interview with Luca Cableri conducted by Domenico De Gaetano.

In July and August, Cinema Massimo will present a film programme featuring works that inspired the exhibition.

A series of activities for the general public and schools will also be organised.