150 clothespins on display at Triennale Milano

Giulio Iacchetti, together with Paolo Garberoglio and Elisa Testori, has curated an exhibition of 150 clothespins at Triennale Milano. The oldest clothespin on display dates from the mid-18th century and is attributed to the Shakers, made of wood and iron. The most recent examples are from the 2000s. The exhibition highlights how different cultures use local materials: Brazilians use bamboo, while Japanese clothespins have long arms to hold futons. Variants include double clothespins, round-handled ones for stacking on a finger, and designs from Germany (Rainer Lehn for Koziol, 1996). Iacchetti notes that the diversity of solutions for the same need defies standardization, referencing Enzo Mari's dictum that "the only possible form is one." The show also explores the clothespin's cultural resonance, from its role as a symbol of the housewife in 1980s Italian TV ads to its repurposing for sealing bags, pinning photos, or attaching greeting cards to flowers.