Gucci’s iconic Bamboo bag — most recently immortalized by Parker Posey in “White Lotus” Season Three — is the star of its latest exhibition, which was unveiled in Shanghai on Friday.
Located at the historical Sunke Villa, an architectural marvel in a quaint downtown neighborhood, the exhibition traces the history, design evolution and cultural significance of the Bamboo 1947 bag.
For Ippolito Pestellini, the exhibition’s curator and founder of the interdisciplinary agency 2050+, the brand’s Shanghai exhibition is meant to offer an “unprecedented opportunity to delve into Gucci‘s archives and explore the history of the house through the lens of one of its most iconic creations,” said Pestellini.
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“The resulting exhibition is a collection of stories that intersect past and present, natural elements and artisanship, and a design history that is both everlasting and mutable,” Pestellini continued.
“These stories are presented through a series of theatrical acts that take visitors from the reality of the materials and craftsmanship behind the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag to the expanded imagery that bamboo has shaped and continues to shape within the house,” he added.
Unfolding via seven distinct rooms and two stories, the exhibition begins with a suspended bamboo installation that pays tribute to its symbolic origin, representing resilience and renewal, as well as its connection to Chinese culture and the rest of the world.
Here, two historical botanical illustrations, one by the European explorer James Bruce and another by the Renaissance botanist Wolfgang Meyerpeck, are displayed in parallel with an evocative AI-generated video by the artist Christian Kondić, celebrating its appeal in nature and contemporary art.
The exhibition continues with “Anatomy of a Bag,” where its 13-hour, 428-step process is put on display in a lab-like setting. An interactive periscope-like device invites visitors to take a closer look at the bag’s meticulously crafted hardware.
In the next room, which is a recreation of Gucci ArtLab in Florence, seasoned artisans are seen assembling and polishing the handbag in real time while explaining the process to visitors. Behind them are screens displaying a film by Davide Rapp, whose work depicts the rhythmic gestures of the artisans at work.
Inside the carpeted chamber of “Bamboo Codex,” the bag’s 70-year history unfolds chronologically along a long, central table. While its saddle-shaped, structured silhouette, Turlock bamboo closure, and handle have remained unchanged over time, its exterior has been continuously reimagined by various creative directors.
In “Thread of Connection,” the bamboo’s influence is seen across patterns, silhouettes and motifs.
Keen on visualizing the motif’s broader impact, archive pieces, such as Frida Giannini’s bamboo-striped drop shoulder pencil dress; a Tom Ford-era bamboo watch, and an antique wood stick with a bamboo handle, which is similar to the ones once favored by Guccio Gucci’s son, are displayed next to a room featuring a CGI video installation dreamed up by the artist Sybil Montet, who transformed Gucci’s silk scarfs into an ephemeral digital experience.
The brand’s affinity to generative AI is explored in “Metamorphosis,” where the multidisciplinary artist Francesco D’Abbraccio created a continuously morphing bag that shifts from a floral handbag, to a kettle, or a gaming gadget, yet what remains unchanged is the bamboo handle.
In the final chapter of the exhibition, “The Shape of Tomorrow,” the Gucci bamboo handle is reimagined in a whimsical setting, transformed into a symbol of athleticism. Inside a David Lynch-ian room painted in striking Ancora red, bamboo barbells, dumbbells, a pommel horse, a punching bag and climbing ladders create a fusion of luxury and sport — one that could rival Technogym and perhaps even hint at a future ultra-luxe fitness collection.
Also included in the exhibition are four figurines created by Yanran Chen, the 19-year-old Chinese sculptor known for her work that blends body horror and surrealism. Marrying fashion and fantasy, Chen’s dolls, perhaps her alter egos, are seen carrying miniature bamboo bags and modeling looks from recent collections.
To celebrate the opening, the Florentine fashion brand hosted a gathering in the villa house’s backyard garden. Guests were also able to shop its exclusive range of Bamboo bags, Bamboo-shaped accessories, and silk scarves.
Local celebrities attending the opening event included actor Ziyi Zhang; Gucci ambassadors Wen Qi, Zhang Linghe, and Song Weilong; up-and-coming actors Zhou Yiran, Vanda Margraf, Li Qin, Dong Sicheng, and Li Wenxin; Hong Kong socialite Karena Ng and her husband, the billionaire heir Brian Sze; Chinese models He Cong and Wang Wenqin; artistic swimming champions Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, and filmmaker Zhang Mo, the oldest daughter of renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou.
The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from Tuesday to April 6. Visitors can secure a slot to visit on WeChat’s Mini Program.