L’incantesimo della casa. L’arte e l’industria in vetrina

This essay uses exhibitions undertaken in the 1940s as a case study to assess the role of the Italian government and Handicraft Development, Inc. (HDI) in promoting the social, cultural, and aesthetical values of new Italian crafts overseas. HDI exhibitions sought to display crafts in a broader architectural context thereby associating their specific natures with specific domestic spaces for which they were intended. These events were a great success from both commercial and promotional points of view. Although the melding of commercial and cultural objectives may appear inappropriate when considered from a museological perspective, this paper shows how the strategies and goals of cultural, design, and commercial exhibitions often overlapped. On the one hand, HDI exhibitions legitimized business by establishing an emotional connection between goods and clients. On the other hand, they offered new options in the contemporary quest for appealing exhibition strategies and displays within museums and beyond.