Combining more than twenty-five years of experience in the field of antiques with an innovating approach that led to the redesign and renovation of the Gallery in 2005, Moshe Tabibnia has consolidated his reputation not only as a trustworthy antique dealer and collector but also as a far-sighted leader of a multifaceted organization fostering interest in antique textile art while supporting scholarly research and educational programmes to shape knowledge in the field of textile art.
The Gallery's newly renovated premises located in the heart of Milan, in Via Brera, house a suitable environment for the preservation and display of different kinds of antique textiles, which can be exhibited safely and studied with a view to shed light on their historic techniques, materials and designs.
As a result of the restructuring project designed and supervised by the Italian architects
Franco and Andrea Gerosa, which saw completion in 2005, the Gallery has been extended and refurbished: in addition to the existing exhibition spaces at on the ground floor, a spacious and wisely illuminated environment has been made accessible on the first floor, thus increasing the number of the existing showrooms, which are now four. Visitors can walk through the gallery and observe the collections in an environment that complies with prescribed museum standards to ensure the fruition and preservation of highly sensitive artefacts such as historic textiles, which are also extremely valuable. To ensure the stability of the environmental condition, computerized lighting and climate control systems have been installed while a sophisticated security system has been put in place to ensure the safety of the collections.
Visitors will be received in an elegant and tranquil environment, where they will be able to closely examine beautiful textile artefacts: the Gallery's team will be at their disposal for any information they may need about the collections, which are generally available for selection when shown. To be able to dedicate as much time as necessary to our guests and prepare a selection of antique textiles, we kindly ask our visitors to arrange an appointment in advance.
In the Gallery's renovated facilities, some spaces have been dedicated to educational programmes and research. Scholars, students and collectors may have access to our highly specialized library for consultation by arranging an appointment in advance.
Preventive and remedial conservation treatments, including cleaning, and restoration are executed in our conservation laboratory, both on textiles belonging to the Gallery and artefacts from private or museum collections, when this kind of service is requested. All textiles are catalogued and carefully preserved in one of the three vaults, where more than 3,000 artefacts are stored at present.
In the cataloguing phase, all textiles are documented by compiling a datasheet with an accurate description and a series of pictures that are taken in the gallery's photographic studio, which is provided with professional equipment.
Often working in synergy with prestigious museums and international institutions, the Moshe Tabibnia Gallery organizes a number of cultural events every year. Amongst these, worthy of mention are the exhibitions, which won high praise in the past for the rarity and value of the pieces displayed, and lectures held by foremost scholars and art historians.
Also mirroring Moshe Tabibnia's commitment to research and education is the publishing activity, which is steered towards sponsoring special editions in conjunction with learning programmes and cultural initiatives of international breadth.