The Soul of Rubber - Esthetics and Technique in step with Fashion

The exhibition “The Soul of Rubber” centres on rubber as a material and relates to its industrial uses as well as to Pirelli’s research and development through clothing and advertising. From the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, it covers the entire history of the company in the field of fashion and the accompanied changes in Italian society. A virtual ball serves as the signifier of rubber’s own essence and is reminiscent of the very ancient origins of its use. The design is conceived as a single video sculpture and features a ball that bounces in every direction, playing with perceptions and triggering events that animate the walls, floor and ceilings. The exhi­bition starts in a long corridor with extrusions that form a kind of playground for the virtual rubber ball. And it ends with an interactive installation where visitors can play with the ball, now projected onto the floor, until it is sucked back onto the wall to trigger images of a dreamlike world populated with characters to which it transmits its properties. Statement by the jury »The exhibition presents the heritage of Pirelli in an approach that is both entertaining and plain in its use of authentic images and posters from all decades. The key focus is a ball that keeps reappearing throughout the exhibition, inviting visitors to play. This interactive aspect is further underlined by the fact that all four dimensions are covered and that, alongside the floor and walls, the concept even includes the ceiling.«