Mystery/Mastery

By Matteo Cibic

Mystery/Mastery is the second chapter of the project The Art of Becoming, which explores the subject of creation, becoming an ideal bridge between art and fashion.

 

The work is inspired by Xacus’ manufacturing tradition and expertise. To interpret these values, we have involved an artist with an explosive personality, able to produce iconic, irreverent objects.

“ I thought that over time, the history and the heart of a company could be transformed into a character with stringent, precise forms but who, at the same time, could experience the continuous changing that is typical of fashion. “

Mystery/Mastery

This installation offers a symbolic, monumental interpretation of the shirt as an object, inspired by what defines Xacus more than anything else: skill, expertise and a sense of beauty. This preserved and handed down through the generations,

much like a family heirloom, escapes all definition because it never reveals itself openly, instead remaining behind the scenes to be subtly expressed in the detailing and taste of every Xacus shirt.

What is a shirt?

The desire to explore the mystery that gives a shape to a Xacus shirt is the reason for this work, which by showing the creation of a shirt, also reveals its own creation, evoking the correspondence between art and fashion on the edge of creation and becoming.

Overlapped layers in forms inspired by tracing paper, paper patterns, fabrics and dressmaking offcuts give a shape to an object that is both a showcase and a box at the same time, a container and its contents. An important item that makes the most of the shirt and at the same time, it evokes the skills behind it. This piece has been created with a mix of industrial and craftsmanship techniques and processes, starting with a block in high-density polyurethane, milled with a robotic arm and then chiselled by hand. For the exterior finish, the artist has chosen to apply a brass metallisation coat, sprayed, polished, and treated by hand to create different degrees of oxidation and thus emphasise the stratification. The inside has been coated in matt black paint to highlight the shirt at the heart of this little monument.

Overlapped layers in forms inspired by tracing paper, paper patterns, fabrics and dressmaking offcuts give a shape to an object that is both a showcase and a box at the same time, a container and its contents. An important item that makes the most of the shirt and at the same time, it evokes the skills behind it. This piece has been created with a mix of industrial and craftsmanship techniques and processes, starting with a block in high-density polyurethane, milled with a robotic arm and then chiselled by hand. For the exterior finish, the artist has chosen to apply a brass metallisation coat, sprayed, polished, and treated by hand to create different degrees of oxidation and thus emphasise the stratification. The inside has been coated in matt black paint to highlight the shirt at the heart of this little monument.

A tribute to expertise

Creation doesn’t stop with ideas: the journey leading to from the conception to the creation of a work is complex and requires a range of skills. The presentation of Mystery/Mastery within the setting of the Milanese flagship store has been an occasion to give a voice to this journey, in homage to the mastery and expertise that are the lifeblood of both art and fashion.
“Mystery/Mastery expresses a reflection on Xacus shirts and the way the concept of elegance has been shaped over time, through this continuously changing item. Its platonic form makes it both container and contents at the same time, representing its ability to safeguard precious customs and develop new languages.“

Artwork by Matteo Cibic