Ornament as Art: Reggio Emilia Exhibition Challenges Perceptions of Decoration

An ambitious exhibition in Reggio Emilia explores the pervasive role of ornament in art and daily life, curated by Claudio Franzoni and Pierluca Nardoni. The show draws from local collections and private loans, juxtaposing paintings, sculptures, ethnographic objects, photographs, ancient books, and tapestries across well-organized sections. It begins with nature and the human body as primary supports for decoration, then traces ornament from pre-Christian times to the present, including a section on the 'crime scene' of ornament's demonization after Art Nouveau, epitomized by Adolf Loos's 1913 essay 'Ornament and Crime.' The exhibition argues that even in minimalist works by Josef Albers and Victor Vasarely, ornament persists through formal and chromatic rhythms. It questions whether art is always decorative, as Henri Matisse believed, and whether ornament is inevitable and necessary. The show invites visitors and scholars to reconsider ornament's historical marginalization and its enduring presence.