Baia (NA), December 7 – At the opening of the exhibition Mute Maniere, hosted in the evocative spaces of the Aragonese Castle of Baia and promoted by CoopCulture, Anima Campania and 3DRAP jointly presented a project that brings together art, technology and tradition, offering visitors an immersive experience of humanity’s oldest and most powerful language: gesture.
Mute Maniere – as CoopCulture notes in its official announcement – is a journey through Neapolitan gestures, a nonverbal grammar that tells of centuries of history, humor, emotion and collective identity. The exhibition reinterprets six iconic gestures (Tazzulell’, San Gnnà, Zitt Zitt, Appost’, Tiè, Chiò Chiò) through sculptures created in a process that combines anthropological research, aesthetics and technological innovation.
During the opening evening, visitors had the opportunity to get to know the two organizations behind the exhibition.
Anima Campania is an art studio founded by brothers Raffaele and Giovanni Del Giudice, specializing in the fusion of traditional sculpture and digital technologies. Their works emerge from the meeting of classical materials – such as marble, terracotta, plaster and bronze – with contemporary tools including 3D scanning, digital modeling and additive manufacturing, creating a bridge between memory and innovation.
3DRAP, a company based in the province of Avellino, is a manufacturer that applies industrial 3D printing to the production of technical components for the automotive, mechanical, packaging and design sectors. Rather than a prototyping operation, it is a full-fledged additive manufacturing line that, thanks to a print farm of hundreds of industrial 3D printers, can create functional, repeatable and customized components without the need for molds.
In recent months, the collaboration between Anima Campania and 3DRAP has grown through several significant projects that show how art and technology can work together productively. These include a full replica of the Madonna della Neve of Sala di Serino, made so the community could continue a centuries-old tradition while respecting the original work; the reproduction of the statue of Maria Ausiliatrice for a religious mission in Albania; and a copy of the bust of San Modestino in Mercogliano, which can now be used in liturgy and processions without putting the historic artifact at risk. The two organizations will also take part in the upcoming international DEVOTIO fair in Bologna, where they will also be involved in the Devotio Awards, a prestigious international recognition dedicated to innovation in sacred art.
A meeting of art, technology and place
The dialogue between Anima Campania and 3DRAP is a concrete example of how different skills can come together around a shared vision: transforming the language of gesture and art into works that speak to the present.
The Mute Maniere exhibition highlights this synergy not only aesthetically but technically: the sculptures are the result of combining artistic modeling, the study of symbols and large-format additive manufacturing.
The value of the experience at the Aragonese Castle of Baia
The Aragonese Castle, with its layers of history, reinforces the exhibition’s mission: to restore dignity and prominence to an ancient language that lives on in the hands, habits and everyday theatricality of Neapolitan people.
The enthusiastic response from visitors confirmed that gesture remains a living, comprehensible and universal code today.
Beniamino Izzo, CEO of 3DRAP, said:
“We deeply believe that innovation should not replace tradition, but amplify it. With Anima Campania, we have shown that technology and culture can work together to safeguard the memory of local communities.”
Raffaele and Giovanni Del Giudice, founders of Anima Campania, added:
“This exhibition celebrates the eloquent silence of hands: a universal and immensely powerful language. Thanks to 3DRAP, we have been able to turn our artistic research into monumental physical works.”
A collaboration looking to the future
The two organizations will continue working together on new projects dedicated to digitizing cultural heritage, creating faithful replicas, using sustainable materials and developing the first phase of a Digital Museum, making the works accessible remotely as well.
