n Forlì, within the spaces of the Dino Zoli Foundation, material is transformed into a narrative.
From April 29 to July 31, 2026, the exhibition “Tessere d’Arte. Intertwining Matter and Creation,” curated by Nadia Stefanel, invites the public to immerse themselves in the world ofFiber Art, where fabric ceases to be a mere medium and becomes the protagonist.
Here, thread does more than just sew: it connects. Ideas, people, production processes, and artistic visions intertwine in a dialogue that spans industry and creativity, tradition and experimentation.
Fabric as a Space for Exploration
At the heart of the project lies the expertise of Dino Zoli Textile, a leading name in Made in Italy that has been in operation since 1972. In recent years, the company has transformed its know-how into an open laboratory where artists and designers can engage directly with materials, technologies, and manufacturing skills.
From 2017 to the present, this dialogue has given rise to a multifaceted journey in which textiles become a means of expression, capable of telling stories, evoking memories, and generating new forms of connection.
Artist residencies: matter becoming experience
The beating heart of the exhibition is represented by the artist residencies, moments of direct interaction between artists and the production process.
A prime example is the experience of Elena Bellantoni, who in 2022 engaged company employees in participatory workshops, transforming the creative process into a collective act. The fabrics—linen and velvet—became costumes and visual narrative in the video work “If There Were Light, It Would Be Beautiful”.
Here, the material is no longer an object, but a relationship.
Group exhibitions: textiles between installation and sustainability
The exhibition also traces important group projects that have marked the evolution of the dialogue between art and business.
Among these, “Utopiche seduzioni” explored the potential of new materials and reuse, while Francesca Pasquali’s immersive installation Plot demonstrated how even textile scraps can become tools for artistic experimentation.
With “Exploratory Weaves”, fabric became an environment, a sensory experience, a space to traverse.
Particularly significant is the project “È QUI”, developed with students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna and local social cooperatives. Here, textiles become shared memory: words, images, and sounds translate into patterns, giving shape to seating that narrates collective identities. The phrase “È QUI” becomes a symbol of presence, belonging, and connection.
Special Projects: The Material That Holds Memory
Among the most intense works, “Fragile Sublime” by Silvia Camporesi evokes, through twelve photographs printed on fabric, the memory of the flood that struck Romagna in 2023. The fabric, with its iridescent white, amplifies the fluid and suspended quality of the images, transforming the drama into a poetic vision.
Different yet equally powerful is Silvia Bigi’s project “Camille” , where technology—from digital sublimation printing to the use of artificial intelligence—engages with history. The obsessive, layered textile patterns intertwine botany and female memory, giving rise to surfaces that are both decorative and unsettling.
A virtuous model bridging art, business, and the local community
“Tessere d’Arte” is not just an exhibition, but the story of a productive and cultural model. A system in which craftsmanship, technological innovation, sustainability, and artistic research coexist and reinforce one another.
The reuse of materials, attention to local communities, and the involvement of schools and social organizations demonstrate how textiles can be not only an aesthetic language but also an ethical tool.
Dino Zoli Textile: When Business Becomes Culture
Behind “Tessere d’Arte” lies a company that has been weaving together industry, research, and vision for over fifty years. Founded in 1972 in Forlì, Dino Zoli Textile is today an international leader in the design of fabrics for interior design, contract, marine, and hospitality sectors.
Its evolution is not limited to production: in recent years, the company has developed an increasingly sustainability-oriented approach, with collections such as REspect, made with yarns derived from recycled materials, and through the adoption of energy systems powered by renewable sources.
But it is in its relationship with the local community that its deepest identity emerges. Production scraps and textile materials become resources for schools, associations, and social projects, fostering a culture of reuse and widespread creativity. A commitment that finds its natural extension in the Dino Zoli Foundation, through exhibitions, artist residencies, and initiatives dedicated to inclusion and sustainability.
In this intertwining of business and culture, textiles are not merely a product: they are language, responsibility, and vision.
Ancient knowledge, a contemporary vision
Through unconventional fibers, weaves, and materials, the artists in the exhibition redefine the relationship between art and design. Fabric thus returns to its original essence: a medium capable of preserving stories, but also of generating them.
In an era dominated by the immaterial, “Tessere d’Arte” brings the value of matter back to the forefront. Not as a limitation, but as a possibility.
