Heritage Landscapes vol.63
Heritage Landscapes is the Promemoria Group newsletter created to observe the contemporary heritage landscape. Twice a month we share the most interesting news and the most innovative projects, investigating those archival stories that turn an object, a brand or an insight, into a legend.
Between architecture, design, fashion, food, technology. With no limit to our curiosity.
Between architecture, design, fashion, food, technology. With no limit to our curiosity.
NATURAL REVOLUTION: 60 YEARS OF WWF
THROUGH NOVEMBER 8
How is our view of nature changing? This is the question that serves as the starting point for “Natural Revolution,” the exhibition with which WWF Italy is celebrating its first 60 years at the MAXXI in Rome. Documents, images, campaigns, and archival materials tell a story that is also that of a country and its relationship with the environment, highlighting the association’s pioneering spirit.
Did you know that the famous WWF panda symbol was designed by Sir Peter Scott, who drew inspiration from Chi-Chi, a real panda living at the London Zoo?
To mark the anniversary, Promemoria Group oversaw the strategic coordination and curatorial design of the exhibition, providing its methodology for activating and showcasing the archive. It identified the WWF archive as a key to telling not only the story of the organization but also the evolution of environmental awareness in Italy. The project transforms over sixty years of WWF history into a narrative that goes beyond simply reconstructing the organization’s chronology; it highlights the milestones that contributed to the emergence and growth of environmental awareness in Italy. This approach transforms historical heritage into a tool for understanding the present and reflecting on future challenges, fostering a dialogue between memory and the present. The curatorial concept was translated into the graphic design and exhibition layout by the Migliore+Servetto studio.
To mark the anniversary, Promemoria Group oversaw the strategic coordination and curatorial design of the exhibition, providing its methodology for activating and showcasing the archive. It identified the WWF archive as a key to telling not only the story of the organization but also the evolution of environmental awareness in Italy. The project transforms over sixty years of WWF history into a narrative that goes beyond simply reconstructing the organization’s chronology; it highlights the milestones that contributed to the emergence and growth of environmental awareness in Italy. This approach transforms historical heritage into a tool for understanding the present and reflecting on future challenges, fostering a dialogue between memory and the present. The curatorial concept was translated into the graphic design and exhibition layout by the Migliore+Servetto studio.
Exhibition statistics:
322 videos and digital photos
150 archival materials
1 interactive installation
1 interactive multimedia exhibit
322 videos and digital photos
150 archival materials
1 interactive installation
1 interactive multimedia exhibit
Open to the public free of charge through November 8, 2026, the exhibition begins with the founding of the WWF in 1966 by the visionary Fulco Pratesi and traces some of the most significant milestones in its history: the first Burano Nature Reserve, established in 1967; the expansion of the network of nature reserves; awareness campaigns; civil actions; and the recognition of environmental protection in the Italian Constitution. Magazines, images, and forms of communication illustrate the evolution of an organization capable of innovating the way we talk about nature and engaging the public.
Behind every poster, photograph, or campaign lies an effort to bring to light something that was previously invisible: the value of biodiversity, the fragility of ecosystems, and the connection between nature conservation and our future. *Natural Revolution* tells the story of how insights, images, and struggles have helped transform environmental awareness into an integral part of our country’s culture, inviting us to view nature not as an unlimited resource, but as an essential element of our health and our future.
Did you know that the founding of WWF Italy is linked to a life-changing encounter? In 1966, the founder Fulco Pratesi—then a young hunter in Anatolia—came across a bear with three cubs: faced with that sight, he decided to throw away his guns and make nature his life’s mission.
Behind every poster, photograph, or campaign lies an effort to bring to light something that was previously invisible: the value of biodiversity, the fragility of ecosystems, and the connection between nature conservation and our future. *Natural Revolution* tells the story of how insights, images, and struggles have helped transform environmental awareness into an integral part of our country’s culture, inviting us to view nature not as an unlimited resource, but as an essential element of our health and our future.
Did you know that the founding of WWF Italy is linked to a life-changing encounter? In 1966, the founder Fulco Pratesi—then a young hunter in Anatolia—came across a bear with three cubs: faced with that sight, he decided to throw away his guns and make nature his life’s mission.
Credits: WWF Italy; Photos: Andrea Tempesta and Francesco Filacchione.
“For the exhibition ‘Natural Revolution,’ we deliberately avoided a nostalgic tone and a simple chronological account, instead offering a dynamic experience in which archival materials engage with contemporary forms of expression and interactive tools. The narrative of the past thus becomes a tool for examining the present and reflecting on the relationship between scientific knowledge, individual responsibility, and collective transformation.”