Since the American toy-company Mattel manufactured the first Barbie doll in 1959, she has become part of popular culture, always evolving and reflecting her times, making her a symbol of the style of every period she has experienced. It is for this reason that the Museo delle Culture in Milan has chosen to dedicate an exhibition to her called “Barbie – The Icon“.
The exhibition for kids and adultswill tell the story of the incredible life of a doll that has interpreted the aesthetic and cultural transformations of society for more than half a century; but – unlike the other myths of contemporaneity, worn out by the passing of time – this doll has had the privilege of being timeless and has crossed distant eras and lands, representing some 50 different nationalities, and bolstering her identity as a mirror for the global imagination.
The exhibition will comprise 5 sections and be preceded by an introductory room called Who is Barbie?, which will contain 7 iconic as well as representative pieces for each decade from 1959 to the present time, in addition to a timeline, fun facts, numbers and the global making of Barbie so that visitors will instantly know just who Barbie is.