An exhibition exploring the profound connection between art, sustainability, and regenerative fashion: the reference is Glacial Threads. From Forests to Future Textiles, organized by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Cittadellarte in collaboration with the Regional Department for Historic-Artistic Heritage and Management of Cultural Sites, and curated by Fortunato D’Amico. Drawing on the Glacial Threads: From Forest to Future Textiles project, promoted by the Lenzing Group (a world leader in the production of specialty wood-based fibers) with Cittadellarte, and aimed at creating microplastic-free fabrics to protect glaciers, the exhibition addresses the issues of global warming and socio-ecological change with a particular focus on the Alpine region. The exhibition, hosted by Castello Gamba - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of the Aosta Valley in Châtillon from July 26 to September 28, features immersive installations, interactive materials, and scientific content, taking visitors on a visual and sensorial journey: from forests, symbols of natural balance, to the fabrics of the future, emblems of responsible evolution.

"This experience", the organizers explain, "highlights the crucial role of sustainable and circular practices in addressing global environmental challenges. Pistoletto, long known for his social and environmental commitment and nominated by the Gorbachev Foundation for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, through the works on display, prompts visitors to reflect on collective responsibility. For Pistoletto, art is a tool for transforming society, and the artist is an agent of change. For the master, art must propose regenerative solutions, using science and technology to create balance and harmony with nature". Inside Glacial Threads, the exhibition space, divided into three rooms, is transformed into a living organism where art, ecological thinking, and experimentation coexist in a fluid dialogue. Pistoletto's works aim to weave a shared narrative, like fibers intertwined to generate a new cultural and environmental fabric.

The exhibition features many significant works, such as Metamorfosi, which explores the concept of transformation, both individual and collective, and invites reflection on the relationship between art, society, and the individual. Through the use of mirrors and everyday materials, Pistoletto aims to create an experience of active participation, engaging the viewer in the creative process and in reflection on their own identity. Also featured is La Mela Reintegrata, which represents the recomposition of opposing elements: nature and artifice. "The apple", reads the dedicated press release, "means nature; the bite of the apple means artifice. With "La Mela Reintegrata", artifice takes on the task of mending the part removed by the bite and reuniting humanity with nature, rather than continuing to distance it".

The exhibition then moves on to Tree - Division and Multiplication of the Mirror: the work reflects the artist's dialectic between unity and division, represented through the shape of a tree containing a mirror. Also noteworthy is The Formula of Creation, a central concept in Pistoletto's work and his worldview. The idea is that the connection between nature and artifice, or between opposites in general, generates something new and positive, a "third subject" that unites the two original elements. This third subject, represented by the central circle, is the womb of rebirth, where a new awareness and a new way of seeing the world are generated.

Emphasizing the relationship between art and fashion, Pistoletto's Segno Arte structures are highlighted, housing garments created by the collective work of Cittadellarte's Fashion Office thanks to collaborations with designers Blue of a Kind, Bav Tailor, Tiziano Guardini, and Flavia La Rocca. Made from biodegradable fibers used to protect glaciers, the garments showcase a regenerative and conscious fashion approach, projected beyond the ephemeral. The plastic-free geotextiles, designed by the Lenzing group, are removed and reintegrated into the textile cycle after being used to cover glaciers for two years, demonstrating a circular approach that protects glaciers and simultaneously reduces the fashion industry's environmental impact.

Finally, the photographic work "From Infinity to Creation" is on display, capturing the majesty and fragility of glaciers, introducing the visitor to a cosmic dimension where the artist's gesture becomes a point of contact between the universal and the everyday. The international interpretations of the Third Paradise evoke the echo of a concrete utopia, taking shape through communities, schools, cities, and relationships.

The exhibition encompasses culture, the environment, the economy, and social coexistence. Glacial Threads' actions engage with the principles of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, it is accompanied by a catalog published by Moebius containing critical essays by curator Fortunato D'Amico and an interview with Michelangelo Pistoletto, translated into three languages: Italian, English, and French. Throughout the exhibition period, workshops and conferences curated by the Cittadellarte Academy will be held on the exhibition's themes.

Collateral events:

August 1

6:00 PM | Castello Gamba | Meeting with artist Michelangelo Pistoletto and curator Fortunato D'Amico

August 8

3:30 PM | Courmayeur, Baite Val Ferret | Sustainable Fashion

Olga Pirazzi - Head of Cittadellarte's BEST (Better Ethical Sustainable Think-Tank) with Matteo Ward, one of the promoters of Fashion Revolution Italia, and Glorianda Cipolla, founder of the cultural association ArtMontBlanc and ambassador of Cittadellarte's Terzo Paradiso.

August 10

6:00 PM | Gamba Castle | Guided tour of the exhibition with Fortunato D’Amico

9:00 PM | Concert for Preventive Peace with Alberto Fortis (voice and piano)

September 20

4:30 PM | Gamba Castle | Mountain Ecosystem

Clara Pogliani (Accademia Unidee) in conversation with Carlo Covini and Paola Deda.

An open discussion between art, science, and international institutions on the mountain ecosystem, a fragile and crucial place for global climate balance.

September 27

4:30 PM | Gamba Castle | Counter-History of Mountaineering

Maria Canella (Accademia Unidee) in conversation with Andrea Zannini (University of Udine)

September 28

4:30 PM | Castello Gamba | Finissage | Conscious Mountaineering and the Culture of Sport.

Maria Canella (Accademia Unidee) in conversation with Sergio Giuntini (President of the Italian Society of Sports Historians)