Dino Zoli Textile and Fondazione Dino Zoli are promoting the exhibition Trame esplorative: a journey through tapestry, curated by Nadia Stefanel, director of Fondazione Dino Zoli, an important opportunity to emphasize how this textile art, traditionally seen only from a decorative point of view, has over time become an innovative and plural form of expression, which has been able to interweave histories, cultures and techniques. 
Monica Zoli, vice president Dino Zoli Group, says, “Words such as thread, weft, warp, interweaving, fabric are often used to evoke suggestions of paths, ideas, relationships, coexistence and connections. An ancient technique that meets through art the contemporary, and together, they give life to representations of emotions.” In keeping with the philosophy of Dino Zoli Textile, the parent company of Dino Zoli Group, which produces upholstery fabrics for upholstered furniture. Since 1972, Dino Zoli Textile has been researching, studying, designing and producing fabrics of excellence for various sectors, including Interior Design, Contract, Nautica and Hotellerie, working in close synergy with architects and designers to also offer customized and completely made-to-measure solutions. Fabrics – jacquards, chenilles, velvets, fire retardants, leather looks, prints and quilts – indoor and outdoor, are made from both 100% natural materials and innovative fibers with a strong commitment to the use of recycled fibers.
The wide range, completely designed and developed in-house, is characterized by attention to detail in terms of quality, aesthetics and functionality of the products, which are exported to more than 60 countries. Nadia Stefanel, curator of the exhibition, writes: “Tapestry, as a contemporary visual language, tells us about textile experimentations and innovations, collaborations between artists and artisans, between tradition and modern experiments, in dialogue with contemporary artistic trends (primarily abstractionism) and industrial design. A path of research that crosses Italy from Lombardy (Arazzeria di Esino Lario and Arazzeria di Elio Palmisano) to Abruzzo (Arazzeria Pennese) to Sardinia (Studio Pratha), with some European forays (Ateliers Pinton), proposing a moment of reflection on identity and tradition.” The journey through tapestries represents a unique opportunity to understand how art and craftsmanship come together in a collaborative creative process, capable of involving some of the most important masters of the second half of the 20th century such as Sonia Delaunay, Gino Severini, Alexander Calder, Afro and Piero Dorazio, designer Nathalie du Pasquier or stylists such as Antonio Marras and contemporary artists such as Omar Galliani, Maurizio Donzelli, Stefano Arienti, Loredana Longo and Sissi, who approached tapestry as a form of expression.
The exhibition concludes with the tapestry Metapolis, created by Francesca Müller, which combines the artisanal complexity of weaving with graphics inspired by artificial intelligence. This is a journey through Italy that not only celebrates textile techniques but also invites a reconsideration of a rich and varied cultural heritage, a witness to a tradition that continues to evolve and renew itself over time, fostering deep connections between artist and audience. Under the patronage of the Municipality of Forlì and Confindustria Romagna, the exhibition can be visited with free admission until March 16, 2025 at the headquarters of the Dino Zoli Foundation in Forlì (V.le Bologna 288).
