NAM presents ICEBREAKERS, a series of conversations curated by Linda Loppa, one of the fashion world’s most influential figures, which connects speakers from all over the globe, from China to the USA, from India to Australia, from Europe to Japan. 11 containers, 11 topics, 11 pairs of speakers, bringing their innovation and expertise in their respective sectors of fashion, design, science, art, and literature. “The number 11 has a really important symbolic value, it represents the inner strength that can be found in all of us when we face moments of crisis”, explains Linda Loppa
ICEBREAKERS takes place within the frame of Living Room, a cultural space set up by Manifattura Tabacchi in 2019 to host conversations between figures from diverse sectors. In 2020, Living Room found new life as a digital format, evolving into a very real interdisciplinary programme, taking in cultural projects set up from scratch and following specific themes.
Every week, starting Thursday 14 January 2021, the public will get to experience of original and insightful dialogue, expertly guided by Linda Loppa, on the Manifattura Tabacchi website and Youtube channel, and on the NAM – Not a Museum IGTV. In a moment of crisis, where social, cultural, economic and political assets are being redefined, what role does cultural production have? This is one of many questions that will be central to the conversations, which the speakers will respond to by drawing on their own skills and experiences, demonstrating how communication and connections between seemingly distant worlds can serve to find innovative solutions.
Each container represents a conceptual space which will host a meeting of two minds, without placing limits on the ambition of their expression. ICEBREAKERS creates connections between people of different backgrounds and experiences, creating new digital spaces outside of the usual arenas and transforming them into places that can inspire new ideas and solutions.
ICEBREAKERS is part of the project The New Fashion Container, conceived and curated by Linda Loppa. As Linda herself explains; “The NFContainer came to life as a reaction and alternative to the excess of time and resources that render the global production system as unsustainable, starting with the example of fashion production. The ‘containers’ are pavilions, rooms, or galleries, where people can come together to imagine a better world. It is a collective effort, a unique approach for a global platform which can connect people, ideas, inventions and innovations, providing the stimulus where local projects can go global thanks to technology”.
