FAR is a non-profit Organization founded by Antonio Ratti in 1985. Its founder's aim was to transform a deep personal, cultural and entrepreneurial passion for textiles into an institution, which would operate in the field of textiles and contemporary art.
The statutory purpose of the Fondazione is to promote initiatives, research and studies of artistic, cultural and technological interest in the fields of textile production and contemporary art.
Within this context, the Foundation operates to analyze the history and culture of the past for a better understanding of the present, to interpret the latest national and international trends and observe the changes in costume and art.
Through FAR's activity, scholars of textile and contemporary art together with established and emerging artists, have the opportunity to extend their research, to produce new work, and to reach a wider audience of art lovers, the most renowned critics and the most prestigious institutions, both in the public and in the private sector.
Textile and contemporary art thus become fields of experimentation, and a place to study the contemporary.
In 1995, FAR set up the Antonio Ratti Textile Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a 2300 m2 space devoted to the storage, restoration and conservation of all the textile collections of the American Museum. The Antonio Ratti Textile Center is open to the public by appointment.
The main activities of the Fondazione Antonio Ratti are:
- the Textile Studio Museum (Museo Studio del Tessuto)
- the Advanced Course in Visual Arts (Corso Superiore di Arte Visiva)
- FAR Events
Visit the Official Web Site www.fondazioneratti.org