Her real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, but everyone call her Barbie. Barbie is more than a simple doll. She is a global icon, who in 56 years succeeded in destroying every linguistic, cultural, social and anthropological borderline,. For this reason, her image is always more attracting the attention as a cultural and sociological phenomenon in expositions as Barbie. “The Icon”, which has just finished in MUDEC, comes in Rome at the Complesso del Vittoriano (Ala Brasini from 15th of April to 30th October 2016). In the roman location, organised by the Italian Institute of history of Risorgimento and produced by the Athemisia Group and 24 ORE Cultura -Gruppo 24 ORE collaborating with Mattel, handled by Massimiliano Capella, has enriched with new loans of Barbie Fashionista series, including Curvy, Tall and petit models, which reproduce the various feminine body-shapes, and William and Catherine Royal Couple Wedding Dolls. Barbie. “The Icon” tells the incredibile life of this doll became interpreter of the aesthetic and cultural transformations of society among more than half a century of history but – in opposite with other contemporary icons disappeared by the time- had the honor to resist to the flowing of years and to cross ages and far lands, representing more than 50 different countries, and enforcing in this way her identity as the mirror of the collective imagination. From the day in which she debuted in the International Toy Fair in New York on 9th of March 1959, Barbie started a thousand new jobs. She went to the Moon, she became Unicef ambassador and she wore thousands of dresses for 980 billion meters of fabric. Above all, Barbie has evolved with the changing of time, not only in fashion, but she followed fashion and social changes. She became a real icon. The expositive path is created to offer various understanding levels: to the historical and cultural background offered to the adult public, there are places for kids who can increase Barbie’s story thanks to some involving activities.
Translation by Tatiana Cintia
