The installation "Mediterranee: Architecture and Design for Gianni Versace" has been inaugurated at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria.
The exhibition installation "Mediterranee. Architecture and Design for Gianni Versace," created by the Department of Architecture and Design (dAeD) of the Università degli Studi Mediterraea di Reggio Calabria, was inaugurated at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria.
The exhibition will remain open until May 3, 2026, and is part of the Gianni Versace Terra Mater. Magna Graecia Roots Tribute exhibition, curated by Sabina Albano and Fabrizio Sudano.
The installation represents the result of the interdisciplinary work of students from the Architecture, Design, and Design for Mediterranean Cultures programs , who reinterpreted Gianni Versace 's Mediterranean imagery , integrating their design skills with the Museum's spaces and architecture. In addition to the Museum's director, Fabrizio Sudano, the participants included Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Rector of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea; Tommaso Manfredi and Consuelo Nava, coordinators of the project's scientific and curatorial committee; Marinella Arena, Francesco Armato, Alessandra Barresi, Nino Sulfaro, and Marina Tornatora, professors who are members of the scientific and curatorial committee; and representatives of the students involved.
The exhibition includes a display of figurative totems in the internal courtyard of Piazza Orsi, organized according to a geometric decomposition inspired by the "Greek" recurring in the creations of the great designer, as well as a video mapping on the main façade of the Museum, which transforms the architecture and urban space into active elements of the visual narrative.
Rector Giuseppe Zimbalatti expressed great satisfaction with the dAeD students' project, " the result of the valuable collaboration between the Università Mediterranea and the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. This synergy strengthens the research and teaching missions of the University of Reggio Calabria, committed to providing young people with the tools to promote the excellence of a region rich in history. The University and the Museum thus confirm their fundamental roles in transforming historical memory into concrete prospects for the future ."
"The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria confirms its position as a place open to experimentation and dialogue between disciplines," stated Director Fabrizio Sudano . "The Museum's spaces, architecture, and collections have acted as active tools for the young designers' design process, helping to foster an ongoing dialogue between memory, creativity, and contemporaneity. In this context, the exchange between design languages and cultural heritage translates into an experience capable of enhancing Mediterranean roots through new forms of interpretation."
The project by the dAeD students at the Università Mediterranea aims to offer a contemporary perspective on shared Mediterranean roots, highlighting the extraordinary cultural and historical resources of the Reggio Calabria area and the Strait of Messina. In this sense, the Museum serves as a privileged platform for design experimentation, where the comparison between past and present becomes an educational and creative tool for new generations of architects and designers.
The installation integrates with the permanent collections, including the Riace Bronzes, and with the Museum's architecture itself, creating visual relationships and active design dialogues. The combination of physical elements, geometries, and digital projections allows visitors to experience Gianni Versace's creative vision through an immersive experience that unites design, architecture, and history.
The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria thus confirms its cultural mission: to promote knowledge, support creativity, and foster interaction between disciplines, engaging young designers in projects that enhance the artistic and architectural heritage of the city and the region.