Shoeboxes? Showboxes!

Shoe boxes and doll boxes have much in common. Not only because their contents – respectively shoes and dolls - are more or less the same size, but also because both have a sort of fetish aura and potential. I’m not surprised, therefore, that a fine fashion maison as Lanvin has created these fashionable, limited edition porcelain statuette dolls curiously almost without a face, but with very detailed outfits and luxurious, mirror-decorated boudoir-boxes.
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Scatole da scarpe e scatole di bambole hanno molto in comune. Non solo i loro contenuti – rispettivamente, scarpe e bambole – hanno dimensioni simili, ma anche perché hanno entrambe come un'aura e delle potenzialità fetish. Non mi sorprende quindi, che una sofisticata maison come Lanvin abbia creato qste bambole-statuette di porcellana fascinose e in edizione limitata, curiosamente quasi prive di volto, ma con abiti dettagliati e scatole lussuose, specchianti come boudoirs.

ph Patrizio Cipriano

Toy-boxes reveal...

Yesterday in Milan at Associazione Culturale ARTE GIAPPONE, among the 97 toy-boxes displayed for the art exhibition named 97 SCATOLE PER GIOCARE, I’ve loved 2 works most of all. One, by my friends bi®thmark, is a reflection on/of beauty, literally mirroring its elusive nature. It’s a black signature cube. Once opened, we find the chic of the chic for a giant doll (i.e. a human): an eyelash curler. Two, by Asami Takahashi, a deboxed clay figurine. A sort of white, shy, fragile jointed minidoll waiting for someone or something.

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Ieri a Milano presso l'Associazione Culturale ARTE GIAPPONE, tra le 97 scatole-giocattolo esposte nella mostra 97 SCATOLE PER GIOCARE, ho amato soprattutto 2 lavori. Uno, dei miei amici bi®thmark, è una riflessione sulla/della bellezza; letteralmente ne rispecchia la natura sfuggente. È un cubo nero col loro logo. Aperto, troviamo l’essenza dello chic per una bambola gigante (cioè una bambola umana): un piegaciglia. Due, di Asami Takahashi, una figurina fittile fuori scatola. Una sorta di minibambola articolata bianca - timida, fragile, in attesa di qualcosa o qualcuno.

ph bi®thmark

Figure what…

A doll is a “figurine” in many ways. Also etymologically, for more languages (see the very first post on this blog). However, many dolls are so realistic, that you would believe them real, except for their doll scale. So what, when the scale is distorted, and an artist makes a figure which is impressingly human-like and detailed, but oversize?? We realize, we become his toys. (What you see in the pic, is NOT a Reborn doll, OK?)
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Una bambola è, per molti aspetti, una “figurina”. Anche etimologicamente, in alcune lingue (v. primissimo post di qsto blog). Però, molte bambole sono così realistiche da crederle reali, a parte la loro scala bambolare. Cosa succede allora quando la scala viene distorta, e un artista crea una figura che è umana in modo impressionante, e ricca di dettagli, ma fuori misura? Ci accorgiamo di diventare noi i suoi giocattoli. (E qlla che vedete in foto, NON è una bambola Reborn, Ok?)

+ > http://www.metacafe.com/watch/816457/ron_mueck/

Cross-traditions

A statuette-doll, a souvenir from the 70s. It reads "huner, souvenir of turkey", and suggested to bi®thmark a Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern version of our Befana - thus making a strongly evocative tradition crossing in loud colours... The “Befana” is, in Italian, the old woman who brings gifts on the day of the Epiphany.
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Una bambola-statuetta, un souvenir degli anni ’70, con su scritto "huner, souvenir of turkey", ha suggerito a bi®thmark una versione mediterraneo/mediorientale della nostra Befana - risultando un suggestivo incrocio di tradizioni a colori squillanti...

+ > http://www.birthmark.it/

When dolls aren’t toys

When dolls aren’t toys, they can play - play a role in behalf of sensitive matters. I had never seen before MY SCENE boys and girls in social advertising. In this case, a campaign against homophobia.
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Quando le bambole non sono giocattoli, possono giocare – giocare in un ruolo a favore di argomenti sensibili. Non avevo visto prima MY SCENE boys and girls in pubblicità a sfondo sociale. In qsto caso, una campagna anti-omofobia.

+ > courtesy Christian Tagliavini, http://www.sinergika.eu/

"Bambole a Roma" in English - 4 a Roman DOLLiday

For all the English-speaking friends and collectors wanting to find an excuse for a Roman DOLLiday...

Here's the official press release, as I've just received it.

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Also in 2008 Cix, Cristina, Daneel, Emma and Michela confirm the yearly date with Fashion Dolls collectors for the third edition of :

Bambole a Roma!
April 13th 2008
at the traditional location
CENTRO CONGRESSI CONTE DI CAVOUR
Via Cavour 50/A Rome
Only at 5’00 mts. from Termini railway station.

This year Silvia and Massimo of the Centro Congressi will be glad to suggest an accomodation both to exhibitors and visitors at the fixed hotels. They can be called Monday to Friday at the phone number +39 06/48.71.777 from 08.00 AM to 02.00 PM otherwise send them an e-mail: info@congressicavour.it

In this edition we’ll keep on exploring the world of Fashion Dolls with a special glance to their house and to the small daily objects inside it.

“Home Sweet Home” is this year’s theme, involving both the exhibitions and the contest. We’ll travel through times and discover the different Barbie’s houses, from ’60 till present; we’ll get to know the universe of the funny Sunshine Family and explore the fascinating planet of Oriental Dolls introducing ‘Momoko’, the special essence of the Eastern cool.
The wide salesroom will offer the opportunity to observe and meet dealers and other collectors, to find the special item to enrich your collection; to appreciate the exclusive creations of the artists who make of a mass-product doll a sole and extraordinary model with their fancy, creativity and technique, by modifying the hair-style and make-up and realizing clothes which perfectly reproduce whether epoch dresses or fantasy creations. i.e. OOAK dolls. Beside, the Doll Collectors’ Club and the Comunità Virtuale Bambole Italia will attend the exbition; they are associations of collectors present in Italy since the end of the 90s.

To close with, this year the contest for doll artists will feature two sections, based on the same topic “Home Sweet Home”: a part is opened to everybody, asked to create a single doll as ‘housewife’; the other part is limited to 10 competitors and concerned with ‘diorama’ - in other words, dolls in a miniature environment! The visitors will choose and vote, through a poll, the doll and the diorama to be awarded with prizes!

Moreover a special date for all the people fond of photography! We’ll have the pleasure to display some photos from the photocontest "Fotomodella dell'Anno" of the CVBI (Comunita' Virtuale Bambole Italia) held from September to December 2007. In this first edition the contest, with prizes offered by some sponsors, was run within the community...maybe it would hide some surprises in the future! Please, visit the related site: http://xoomer.alice.it/photocontest/

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Rome – whether you are collectors or simply curious to enter this fancy miniature world! The entrance to the show/trade and the exhibitions is free.
For further information, please visit the link:
info@bambolearoma.it
or e-mail to:
info@bambolearoma.it

Sharing this with DOLL of you! ;-)

received, in theme, and shared! Time flies, and the doll flies too, on her legs. She's Leggy, indeed.

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ricevuto, in tema, e condiviso! Il tempo vola e anche la bambola - in gamba! E' Leggy, non per dire.

> artwork by http://www.birthmark.it/