Safety and prevention are the two essential factors for enjoying your favorite sport and, over time, mankind has developed increasingly sophisticated systems of protection suitable for various uses, often using nature and the animal kingdom as inspiration. The exhibition 'À toute épreuve' presents the history of protection for the human body from its origins to the current most innovative technologies, through a multimedia itinerary divided into four parts full of symbols, photographs and videos.

The first two sections look at the correspondence between Nature and the very first protective armors developed by mankind, who looked to nature for useful pointers: a turtle’s shell and an armadillo’s carapace are displayed alongside a suit of Renaissance armor and that of a Samurai, in order to emphasis the clear correspondence.

In any case, examination of the shapes and appearance of items from the Sixteenth century shows that there are clear traces of them in modern protective equipment like helmets, gloves and ergonomic suits. In the same section, a short film by director Ermanno Olmi is shown, entitled “La vestizione dell’eroe” (dressing a hero), which describes the ritual of preparation of the knights of long ago through images of dressing before a race of Valentino Rossi, a modern knight preparing to face “battle”.

A gallery full of leather suits which have protected the greatest motorcycling champions of all time ends this section. It is precisely athletes and champions who can provide a valid example in increasing awareness of protection: management of risk, suitable equipment and good preparation mean experiencing sport in total freedom and with enjoyment. The third section of the exhibition is dedicated to “smart suits”, the most innovative and technological development of technical sports clothing.

The best example of these is D-air®, the airbag for motorcyclists, developed by Dainese. Combining electronics, ergonomics and design, D-air® is the product of the most leading edge technological innovation, the result of years of detailed study and research. Today’s ergonomic suits and protective clothing guarantee safety for all skiing, snowboarding, mountain bike and water sports enthusiasts, but other sports are also already on the horizon, such as horse riding. The exhibition ends with a look towards the future. Astronauts’ suits have also contributed to development of the technology applied to motorcyclist’s clothing and vice versa: the know-how of this sector, for example, has been valuable in proceeding with the Biosuit project with the MIT in Boston: an under-suit for astronauts which guarantees easy and comfortable movement and optimum protection in view of the first mission to Mars.

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