Fashion. A Dialogue Between Ephemeral and Eternal

Fashion. A Dialogue Between Ephemeral and Eternal

Welcome to a mesmerizing event where fashion becomes a bridge between the ephemeral trends of today and the eternal expression of art.

Yet, at the heart of this vibrant and continuously transforming phenomenon lies a fascinating paradox: its intrinsic impermanence. And it is precisely this aspect—the ephemeral beauty of fashion—that is the focus of the exhibition “Fashion. A Dialogue Between Ephemeral and Eternal” opening on Wednesday, September 10, at Galleria Corals, featuring works by Matilde Piacentini, Valentina Fracassi, and Paradiso Collective.

The title is no coincidence: the exhibition is conceived as a visual and conceptual journey through the profound connection between fashion and transience, between aesthetics and perishability. A bond deeply rooted in culture and literature, as seen in Giacomo Leopardi’s famous dialogue between Fashion and Death in his Operette morali, where both figures acknowledge being children of the same mother: fragility.

Starting from this reflection, the three artists explore the theme of fashion as a poetic yet transient phenomenon, each using different languages and materials.

Matilde Piacentini presents a series of works that blend influences from Dadaism, Surrealism, and Rotella’s Pop Art. Her layered and collage-based images evoke the fragmentation of identity in the era of image and appearance. In “The Weight of Expectation” for example, the artist reflects on the invisible burden of aesthetic and social standards, offering a disillusioned yet powerfully empathetic image of the female body and its representation.

Valentina Fracassi, on the other hand, works with ephemeral materials such as leaves, paper, and plant fibers, creating true “poetic weaves.” In her works, inspired by classical and modern literature, words and materials merge into delicate textures that tell stories. The exhibition also features an unreleased series of four poetic maps dedicated to the fashion capitals—Paris, Milan, London, New York—where text and image physically intertwine, creating cartographic tapestries that speak of identity, language, and memory.

Finally, Paradiso Collective brings their site-specific installation “Breathe” to the gallery: a modular textile ecosystem composed of hand-painted jute and cotton elements, sewn and folded into origami-inspired structures. The work invites contemplation, a slow and conscious breath in contrast to the urgency and speed typical of fashion. It’s an invitation to pause, observe, and reconnect with one’s inner self and the present moment.

“Fashion. A Dialogue Between Ephemeral and Eternal” is an exhibition that invites us to reflect on time, transformation, and the contemporary obsession with novelty. It’s a tribute to beauty that slips away, to memory that fades, and to the charm of things destined to change. Because every fashion, like every era, is destined to pass. But it is precisely in this passage that it finds its deepest meaning.

Opening night: 10 September 2025, h.18:30-21:00

Location: Corals Gallery

Host or Publisher labt21