Latest news with #PiazzaMignanelli
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Inside PM23, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti's new exhibition space in Rome, designed to nurture future creatives: its inaugural show pays tribute to Valentino's signature colour
Since its inception in 2016, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti has quietly championed charitable causes, lending support to families in need, and backing special projects at Rome's Bambino Gesù Hospital and Policlinico Gemelli. Now, this philanthropic endeavour is stepping into the spotlight with the grand opening of the foundation's new cultural hub, marking a significant milestone for the organisation and its founders. PM23 is a new exhibition space in Rome, founded by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti. Photo: Handout Nestled in Rome's historic Piazza Mignanelli, just a stone's throw from the iconic Valentino atelier, the foundation's new home, PM23, is a former school and printing house once belonging to Propaganda Fide – now transformed into a space set to become a vibrant international hub for arts, fashion and culture. Advertisement During the filming of Matt Tyrnauer's 2008 documentary on his life, Valentino: The Last Emperor, Garavani famously said, 'I love beauty; it's not my fault.' Far more than just an exhibition space, PM23 is conceived as a platform designed to nurture emerging talents and champion artistic projects that echo the founders' enduring philosophy: 'Beauty creates beauty.' Jeff Koons' Balloon Venus Lespugue welcomes guests to PM23. Photo: Handout The inaugural exhibition, 'Horizons/Red', pays homage to the bold colour that has become synonymous with Valentino since the designer's debut collection in 1959 . Having opened to the public on May 25, the showcase brings together 30 artworks on loan from institutions, private collectors, as well as Valentino and Giammetti's own collection, featuring works by luminaries such as Pablo Picasso Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others. All this sits alongside 50 archival dresses in Valentino red. Setting the tone for the exhibition, American artist Jeff Koons' Balloon Venus Lespugue, a vivid red sculpture, welcomes guests at the entrance. In an announcement about the foundation's new project, Garavani and Giammetti said: 'We believe beauty has the power to elevate, transform and leave an indelible mark on people's lives. Through the foundation, we wish to share and give back to the world what beauty has given us, by supporting talent, creativity and culture, ensuring they remain a source of inspiration just as they have been for us. We firmly believe that fostering talent, promoting culture and helping those in need are tangible ways to make the world a better place.' PM23 is currently showcasing 50 archival dresses, all in Valentino red. Photo: Handout PM23's ambition to be a cornerstone for creativity and innovation is reflected in the foundation's goal of hosting one or two major exhibitions each year. These will be complemented by workshops and competitions aimed at empowering the next generation of creatives, with the space set to become an arena for artistic exploration and social engagement.
Vogue
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
The New Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Is Every Bit as Chic and Glamorous as You'd Expect
The magnum opus of a lifelong creative partnership, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti opens its doors to the public for the first time in Rome's Piazza Mignanelli on May 22. Conceived as a way to preserve and share the legacy they have built, the foundation reflects their unerring dedication to a cultivated interpretation of beauty, their passion for art, and engagement in philanthropy. Located right next to the halls of the Valentino atelier, it's housed in a former Vatican school and printing house for Propaganda Fide, the Holy See's dicastery for the propagation of the faith. With the election of a new Pope, the Vatican is definitely having a moment, but this is less divine intervention than divine design. Polished to celestial gleam and christened PM23 (after its chic address: 23 Piazza Mignanelli), the newly reborn space is poised to become Rome's latest cultural altar. It will debut with a high-gloss exhibition titled 'Horizons—Red,' curated by style-savvy scholar Pamela Golbin, who edited the archival fashion pieces, with art historian Anna Coliva overseeing the selection of artworks. While the cardinal-red nod to apostolic grandeur feels timely, red is, of course, Valentino's holy grail—a signature so iconic it deserves its own Pantone. 'It's a dialogue between a color that stands as an oeuvre in its own right within Mr. Valentino's body of work, and a selection of artworks in which red becomes the lens through which each artist reveals their poetic vision,' remarked Golbin. Unlike the Pinault or Arnault foundations, which primarily showcase private collections, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti charts a different course: it will host not only exhibitions, but also workshops, talks, and cultural activations, open to diverse voices, disciplines, and communities. In a rarefied correspondence between haute couture and fine art, Valentino's legendary red dresses are displayed amid a curated constellation of modern and contemporary masterpieces on loan from institutions, private collectors, and from Giammetti and Valentino's own acquisitions, featuring works by Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter, Helen Frankenthaler, Picasso, Rothko, and Basquiat, among others. 'There are many exhibitions about art and fashion today, but they're not always about dialogue,' observed Golbin. 'Here, we've taken a theme central to Mr. Valentino's legacy, inviting both disciplines to respond.'
