Giulia Morellini. Le Arti Orafe. New Talent Award Nominee 2021

Article / NewTalentsByKlimt02 Artists

Published: 18.10.2021

Giulia Morellini

Author:: Le Arti Orafe

Edited by:: Klimt02

Edited at:: Barcelona

Edited on:: 2021

Her "Barbie project" was difficult to develop in an innovative way, and therefore required a lot of research and experimentation, which Giulia managed intelligently, arriving at the latest minimalist elaborations, with mold of faces and body parts in transparent material, and no other element but an almost invisible metal structure, seem to be very interesting and worthy of further investigation.
/ Giò Carbone

Name of graduation student: Giulia Morellini
Name of guiding teachers: Giò Carbone

Nominated by Le Arti Orafe, Florence, Italy.

Giulia Morellini attended the second and third year of the jewellery making course at LAO.

I followed Giulia in her workshop work and was able to appreciate her commitment, attention and initiative.
Her "Barbie project" was difficult to develop in an innovative way, and therefore required a lot of research and experimentation, which Giulia managed intelligently, arriving at the latest minimalist elaborations, with mold of faces and body parts in transparent material, and no other element but an almost invisible metal structure, seem to be very interesting and worthy of further investigation.

Even more intriguing to me were her experiments with 'irregular' castings, with unconventional means and a lot of improvisation, and results only partly left to chance. Using errors and imperfections in favor of her research, Giulia has been able to make the most of the school's equipment, casting different metals and following unusual and even apparently irrational practices, in air, in water, in sand, etc., even incorporating stones or other materials, with very convincing results.
/ Giò Carbone

Summary of the thesis: Barbie & Ken Collection
Barbie & Ken collection investigates gender stereotypes through the perfect doll’s image.
The idealized image of men and women changed us, our behaviour and relationships. Women must be compliant, weak, good housewives and sentimental. Men must be strong, angry, ready to fight and never mocked. In my opinion, one stereotype would not exist without the other.
I think that if men were not believed to be strong, women would not always be treated as inferior. These two stereotypes go hand in hand. They are directly related. If men could be vulnerable, women would not be too sentimental. If men had not to be dominators, women should not hide their bodies. If men could stay home and look after their children, women would have more career opportunities.
Unfortunately, we don’t talk about toxic masculinity and the sexism that it entails. We only hear about feminism, whose term could be misunderstood as embodying and meaning of discrimination against men. In my opinion, both genders should fight together to break these barriers.
Barbie and Ken are symbols of body perfection and love couple. Our parents gave them to us when we were children, and we grew up with them. This fact makes me think about how stereotypes are rooted in our culture. I found out that some kindergarten teachers are already talking about stereotypes. This is a big step. In fact, when we are children, we are taught to dream of becoming mothers, teachers, shop assistants, as well as soldiers, soccer players or riders.
I hope next generations will change this mindset that is closing our mind and is making us sadder. In fact, for example, it has been proven that men live less and show more depression because they stay less at home with their children than women.
This project got me thinking about myself and my behaviours. I realized how society has strongly influenced me and that I have many stereotypes too. This has been a new beginning to start living without barriers and claiming that others should respect me as a woman and as a person.
The collection was born from the need to communicate these ideas and, in a way, to contribute to change. Therefore, the body parts of Barbie and Ken become a symbol of something we don’t want to be anymore. Through pins you can wear them on jackets, dresses or bags, like they were representing in political party or they came from punk culture. In this way, they can take a deeper and cultural meaning you can show to everybody.

More work and contacts:
Tel.: +3200338074
E-mail: gi.morellini@gmail.com

Find out more about the courses at Le Arti Orafe.