International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art - Torino, 1902

The Esposizione internazionale d’arte decorativa moderna in Torino, in 1902 is considered to be first large exhibition of decorative and applied arts , even though there were large representations of industrial and decorative products at each and every previous international exhibition. Then what is the exhibitions significance? For Italians it signified the beginning of a new influence that had already been established in other European countries: Art Nouveau. In Italy this style was renamed Liberty.
 
At the exhibition, the era's more innovative countries in decorative art exhibited over 700 objects, including furniture, ceramics, glass, metal objects, lace, books, prints, typographies, stamps, photographs etc. They were brought together in this catalogue Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs modernes à Turin, 1902 (see the photos below), written in French and published under the direction of editor Alexander Koch (who had a great influence on design and architecture from the end of the 19th century onward).
 
Inside of the catalogue, and also within the historical reserves of the DHUBdoc, you can view objects and interiors from the pavillions of the countries that participated in the exhibition. As well, worth mentioning is the exquisite white paste binding, imitating the ancient parchment covers, with gilded and embossed ornamentation of the art nouveau style.
 

Some References

Bairati, Eleonora ; Rossana Bossaglia ; Marco Rosci. L'Italia liberty : arredamento e arti decorative. Milano : Görlich, cop. 1973. 372 p.
 
Franchini, Caterina (2006). “Liberty in Turin : a dimension with a heavy town-planning accent" Coup de fouet, núm. 8 (2006), p. 2-7. Also available online: http://www.coupdefouet.eu/upload/magazine_pdf/8_the_route.pdf

 
Morris, Roderick Conwany (1994). "Turin 1902". Encounters with the arts, cultures, people and places. Available online: http://www.roderickconwaymorris.com/Articles/381.html