The exhibition Haori. Men's clothing of the early 20th century tells the story of Japan opens to the public on April 12th, offering a unique exploration of Japanese material culture through about 50 haori and juban (over-kimono jackets and male under-kimono garments), as well as some traditional children's clothing, coming from the Manavello collection, in dialogue with installations by contemporary artists.

The exhibition has no precedents in Italy or Europe and therefore stands as an absolute novelty in the panorama of proposals focusing on the art of the Far East. The depictions adorning the garments

presented are not only examples of precious craftsmanship, but also documents and testimonies that delve into

Japan in the early 20th century, a crucial period marked by social, cultural, and political transformations, between accelerated modernization and imperialist tensions.

Within the exhibition path, works by contemporary artists are presented as tools for analysis and reflection, inviting the public to navigate through a historical period of complex relationships between Japan, China, and Korea, still relatively unknown in Italy.

The exhibition project benefits from the curatorial consultancy of Silvia Vesco (Professor of Japanese Art History at Ca' Foscari University of Venice), Lydia Manavello, You Mi (independent curator and currently lecturer in Art and Economics at the University of Kassel), in collaboration with the Director of MAO, Davide Quad