Why wonderful Japanese Kimono are in the Santa Severa Castle ’s rooms? All began with the Hasekura Tsunenaga’ s trip, the first Japanese Samurai/Ambassador, who reached Italy in 1615 with his peculiar dresses and was hosted in the Santa Severa Castle. For the first time a relevant exhibition runs the Japanese culture influence not only upon Italian fashion. The event realized by Stefano Dominella in an ideal scenography explains not only the Japanism but also the different cultures that generated political, cultural and social phenomena.
Kimono like artworks
Going around the courts and the Rocca rooms you can admire the clothes created by famous stylist, emergent designer, taylors and internationsg hosts who interpreterà the different meanings of the Japanism. Set up as artworks there are Japanese Kimono, obi and hakama coming from private collections.
“Contamination is the thread of this exhibition. Cultural, geographical, stylistic and material influences.”
Stefano Dominella
Among the 40 creations: Antonio Marras, Gattinoni, Comme des Garçons, Maurizio Galante, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto. Among the youngest designers Tiziano Guardini (vincitore del Green Carpet Awards), Italo Marseglia, Ivan Donev, Santo Costanzo, Alessandra Giannetti, Silvia Giovanardi, Tommaso Fux. Moreover, some fashion and art brands such as NOH (Anna Rotella in collaboration with Marco Carac e Fabio Truffa) and Dedalus Art (the artist Marco Carac in collaboration with the designer Anna Rotella). A tribute to the great Theatre with the amazing costumes coming from the archives of Opera Theatre and Annamode. The exhibition scenography includes authentic Sol Levante carpets and textile together with sculpture inspired to Manga and made by Federico Paris.
The first Ambassador/Samurai in Europe
“The ambassador, the Japanese Cristoforo Colombo, was the first official diplomatic from Japan in Europe. The commercial needs pushed the samurai, well known in his country still now as an historical figure, to Europe. He reached west to got to Rome in order to meet Paolo V Pope. From a research about his stop at the Santa Severa Castle his story was discovered. This journey is the only diplomatic and political answer during the great navigations years from the Est to the West. Even though the mission was not a success, the diplomatic relationships among Italy and Japan went on positively with great cultural results.”
Flavio Enei – Archaeologist – Santa Severa Civic Musem Director
Japanism a coming back phenomenon
The Japanes exoticism inspired literature, music (Puccini’s Madama Butterfly), theatre, art (impressionists) and fashion that tells about history and influences. At the beginning of the ‘900 Europe and Italy are covered by a widespread passion for Japan and its culture, chi is the birth of Japanism. The female fashion changed towards large clothes and oriental drawings, volumes, staff, overlapping harmonious evocation of seasons and states of minds: creations inspired to kimono. Meanwhile, after a period of closure Japan inspires to the West: women ware European clothes instead of the kimono, and are called moga, modern girl. A bilateral influence where one tradition becomes the other one transgression without loosing elegance.
There are three international exhibition dedicated to Japan at Rome and province. Giapponizzati, Hokusai and Manganasia to demonstrate the growing interest towards this culture. This exhibition asked from the Lazio Region and the President Nicola Zingaretti, together with LazioCrea, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Education, Research, School, University and Tourism delegate will per opened from the 26th of October 2017 to the 15th of January 2018 by the famous Santa Severa Castle rooms recently restored.
Stefano Dominella Facebook
Castello di Santa Severa
Elena Cattaneo was born in Cremona and lives in Rome. As a teacher, editor and web reporter she looks at this city, even also many years, like a curious turist.
After a Foreign Language University Degree she specialized in Communication Science. She fully dedicated to Business Communication, her most relevant interest.
She cultivated several cultural hobbies, fond of art and human being expression.