Italian cultural projects explore masculinity and gender equality

Various cultural and design initiatives in Italy are examining masculinity and its role in gender equality. In Florence, a design thesis project titled ‘Maschia. Costellazioni confessionali’ proposes a cultural and educational service aimed at unlearning patriarchal masculinity. The project suggests a laboratory program for Arci Circles, utilizing tools such as ‘Confidenze’, a serious game for private gender conversations, and ‘Guastafeste’, a set of cards designed to prompt difficult questions in social settings.

In Scandiano, the participatory art project ‘Manifestati’ has returned with a focus on the male gender. Led by Angela Ruozzi in collaboration with photographer Alessandra Calò and playwright Giada Borgatti, the initiative involves interviewing men aged 11 to 35. The project seeks to understand how young men perceive gender parity and their own identities. The collected anonymous responses will culminate in an artistic event scheduled for next spring.