“Gender Balance” at Genoa Design Week 2026
Among the initiatives of the 2026 edition of Genoa Design Week was the project “Gender Balance” (Equilibrio di genere), an exhibition and research pathway dedicated to the themes of gender stereotypes, benevolent sexism, and male violence against women.
The exhibition was set up at the Complesso conventuale di Santa Maria di Castello – Loggiato Superiore and represented the outcome of an interdisciplinary pathway developed within the framework of the PRIN GeNoMa Violence project (Gender Norms, Masculinities and Violence against Women), promoted by the Department of Antiquities, Philosophy, and History (DAFIST) of the University of Genoa, in collaboration with the University’s Equal Opportunities Committee.
The initiative stemmed from a collaboration between DAFIST, with scientific coordination by Prof. Luisa Stagi, and DAD, with scientific coordination by Prof. Enrica Bistagnino, as part of a collaborative agreement that involved students from the Bachelor’s Degree Program in Product and Communication Design in an educational experiment on verbo-visual languages for social communication. The pathway engaged University of Genoa students in a participatory and interdisciplinary process aimed at building awareness campaigns on male violence against women. Through a sequence of workshops dedicated to reflecting on masculinities, participatory audiovisual production, critical media analysis, and design, the participants worked in a co-construction and peer-to-peer logic, developing content and languages addressed to their peers.
The exhibited projects were developed during the thematic Product Graphics Studio in the 2025/2026 academic year, coordinated by faculty members Valerio Aprigliano, Enrica Bistagnino, and Alessandro Castellano, with teaching support from PhD candidate Tiziana Iorio. The studio focused on designing awareness campaigns targeting the university demographic, translating research findings into posters, installations, digital content, and communication tools capable of stimulating critical reflection and cultural awareness.
The exhibition brought together a selection of concepts developed by the students, including Words Matter You Too, Which side are you on, Kindness or benevolent sexism, What the f* kind of ruling is this, Flip the mindset, Control, Literally and It was just a joke. The projects addressed gender-based violence through different languages—ranging from typography to interactive installations, and from social media to urban campaigns—demonstrating the potential of visual representation and communication as a tool for cultural mediation, awareness, and social transformation.
Alongside the exhibition, on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM, also at the Loggiato Superiore of Santa Maria di Castello, the talk “The Contribution of Visuality in Raising Awareness on Gender Stereotypes, Benevolent Sexism, and Gender-Based Violence” was held. This public discussion focused on social communication, media representation, and prevention and awareness practices. The meeting served as the concluding event of the workshop pathway and a moment of public restitution for the work carried out, bringing research, design, and civil society into dialogue.
The completed works were presented as part of the exhibition and evaluated by a jury within a competition aimed at highlighting the most effective and innovative proposals. The meeting opened with institutional greetings from Fabrizio Benente, UniGe Pro-Rector for Third Mission; Angela Celeste Taramasso, Rector’s Delegate for Equal Opportunities and Inclusion; and Rita Bruzzone, Councilor for Equal Opportunities for the Municipality of Genoa. Following an introduction by Prof. Enrica Bistagnino, the projects created by the students during the studio were presented and awarded prizes. Speakers included Rita Lucido, journalist and Ligurian representative on the Equal Opportunities Commission of the Italian National Press Federation; Erica Manna, journalist for Repubblica and L'Espresso; Chiara Nardini, psychologist at the UniGe Listening Point; and Mariella Popolla, member of the PRIN GeNoMa Violence project. The meeting was moderated by Alessandro Castellano (DAD UniGe) and Luisa Stagi (DAFIST UniGe).
The initiative aligned with the University’s policies dedicated to gender balance, inclusion, and the prevention of gender-based violence, and was supported by the Equal Opportunities Committee (CPO) and the Pro-Rector for Third Mission, confirming the University of Genoa’s role as a hub for research, experimentation, and civil engagement through design and visual culture.