Embroidery of Space: building equality in the coexistence of differences

The best freedom is being yourself - Jim Morrison

Recommended musical piece as a background for reading: Clara Wieck-Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7: II. Romanze

Genderless Careers
What can emerge from the encounter between a scientist, a historian, and an artist invited to share the same working table?

The occasion that brought together mind, memory, and creativity arose from the unique synergy among individuals, skills, and institutions developed around the exhibition Daughters of the Infinite by the artist Ilaria Margutti, curated by Silvia Bonomini. The exhibition was part of the celebrations for International Women’s Rights Day 2025 organized by the Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

In this context, the Bologna section of AIDIA promoted a highly interdisciplinary training day to reflect on a contemporary issue rooted in ancient legacies: gender equality. AIDIA (Italian Association of Women Engineers and Architects) operates nationwide with the aim of promoting culture, research, and professional practice, specifically enhancing women’s work and careers in architecture and engineering. “Enhancing” is a word that conveys the significance of this important work, especially in today’s context, still heavily affected by the gender gap—a phenomenon that continues to manifest in various, often subtle forms, involving cultural, economic, political, and relational dimensions.

Change is necessary, beneficial, and possible, but it requires social awareness and a multidimensional understanding of the issue in order to build appropriate and sustainable solutions and establish new practices and habits.

The issue of equal access to opportunities and conditions regardless of gender represents a crucial test of a country’s cultural and democratic maturity. Ensuring such access means fully implementing, day by day, the fundamental principles of freedom and equality.

The seminar promoted by AIDIA Bologna fits within the broader framework outlined by the EU Gender Equality Strategy (2020–2025). The work of Ilaria Margutti created a creative bridge for meaningful educational reflection. In line with the STEAM approach, Amalia Ercoli Finzi, scientist and pioneer of aerospace engineering, and Alessandro Vanoli, historian and public scholar, led the dialogue and round table, bringing together professionals from diverse fields: scientific, humanistic, sociological, and civic. The training day aimed to open a window onto the future and foster a culture of change.

Gender Equality: An Age-Old Challenge in Contemporary Transitions
Eliminating gender inequalities is one of the broadest and most cross-cutting challenges of our time. The United Nations has placed it among the priorities of the 2030 Agenda, as Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 (SDG 5).

Gender equality is a long-standing historical issue that today takes on new forms and intersects with global transformation dynamics such as digitalization, the ecological transition, and demographic change. It is as relevant as it is challenging: statistical analyses suggest that achieving full equality may still require up to five more generations, with significant differences across regions of the world (source: World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2025).

This is not a marginal issue, nor solely a women’s battle. Gender alliance is a key concept: for meaningful cultural change, the role of men is crucial. The turning point we truly need concerns society as a whole—at every level and across all age groups. And it must be built together.

Weaving Connections

«Thus, in a certain sense, everything is physical, yet at the same time everything is human». Edgar Morin¹

The seminar is grounded in the belief that, now more than ever, efforts toward gender balance require rediscovering and valuing the intrinsic qualities of individuals. We are part of a network of human beings: beyond virtual interactions mediated by technology, the foundation of everything remains our shared humanity and the real connections between people.

The thread that connected the various themes of the seminar took on the many nuances contained in the idea of connection: interpersonal relationships, diverse perspectives, the integration of skills and experiences, and interdisciplinary links that bring together different data and forms of knowledge.

The concept of relationship highlights the importance of the contribution offered by the community, as well as the value of collective intelligence, civic engagement, and professional commitment. These are authentic, collaborative relationships, where the uniqueness of individuals merges into a harmonious whole.

Just as the vastness of the sky—long a point of reference in the development of humanity—represents a system in harmony and teaches us to look beyond our limits. In the words of Amalia Ercoli Finzi: "The universe teaches us the wonder of diversity and the power of inclusion, a combination that allows each individual to express themselves at their best while enabling the entire system to be enriched by ever-new competencies. And within this cosmic reality, there is also space for life—our life—a true miracle given its fragility, and at the same time a precious treasure for its creativity. We must never allow our foolish behavior to endanger it, because that would be a great loss for the entire universe".²

Listening, dialogue, and cooperation guide the overcoming of individual limits. Collectively, environments that embrace a plurality of voices and approaches generate solutions that are more creative, sustainable, and suited to the complexity of contemporary challenges. It is within this social laboratory of interactions that innovation takes shape. Dialogue among different perspectives thus assumes a key role in questioning established certainties and habits, and in effectively progressing toward new dimensions.

There is also an important issue of individual and social responsibility: awareness of the impact of one’s actions on others and on the surrounding environment. Those of us who work in the technical-scientific field—from architecture to engineering, across professional practice, research, and teaching—actively participate in a system that contributes to the country’s growth and to improving quality of life. Our work shapes spaces and infrastructures, restores and renews existing heritage, develops systems and digital networks, and so on.

Our work also produces less visible effects, yet no less significant: it creates and nurtures new relationships among individuals, generates tools for connection, and strengthens bonds. Ultimately, the imprint left by our profession also concerns the ability to foster a sense of belonging and to contribute to the building of communities. From this perspective, it is—or should be—at the service of society. This social responsibility connects to a broader issue: the need, in contemporary society, to educate citizens who are aware, supportive, and capable of actively engaging with the complexity of the world we live in.

The metaphor of reality’s complexity as a fabric made of heterogeneous threads that, by intertwining, shape its form, carries an ancient yet ever-relevant resonance. In the formulation of the great philosopher Edgar Morin, this image takes on particular significance in relation to the modern fragmentation of knowledge into isolated specialisms. Hence the need to bring together knowledge of the parts. As he writes: “Complexus means what is woven together […]. Complexity is therefore the bond between unity and multiplicity. […] education must promote a ‘general intelligence’ capable of addressing the complex, the context in a multidimensional way, and the global".³

A complexity and a renewal that also embrace the deeper fabric of human and social relationships. Looking back through time, one can glimpse the traces of a return to a renewed humanism. To address the accelerated transformations of the present, it is necessary to rethink traditional paradigms and integrate social, cultural, technological, and ethical dimensions. Within this framework, gender inequality emerges as an emblematic and cross-cutting phenomenon, calling for a profound revision of established and limiting models in order to move toward a more equitable and inclusive society.

Culture and Responsibility
To better explain the relationship between the training seminar and the art exhibition Daughters of the Infinite by Ilaria Margutti, it is worth pausing to reflect on the transition from the STEM approach to the newer STEAM model, within which our training day fully belongs.

It is widely recognized that the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) play a crucial role in contemporary society. The reformulation of this approach as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), through the introduction of the Arts, represents a radical and highly significant shift toward embracing complexity. Including the arts—understood in the broad sense of the humanities, visual, performing, literary, and philosophical disciplines—within educational and training frameworks means acknowledging their role in cognitive development and social cohesion, as well as the intrinsic value of cultural identity, imagination, and human sensitivity.

Literary and artistic imagination allows us to see the world through the eyes of others, fostering a transformation in social perception and in the ways we envision reality. It belongs to the realm of emotion and human feeling. Reason, on the other hand, represents the human capacity to analyze, evaluate, and anticipate. It is the tool that enables us to navigate the world with clarity, to discern, and to make informed decisions. Numerous studies suggest that when these two major domains—scientific/logical and humanistic/creative thinking—are conceived as intertwined, they contribute positively to both individual and collective well-being.

In our time, marked by increasing automation and an overabundance of information (not always verified), this integrated approach represents a form of inclusivity in knowledge that weaves together analysis and empathy, expanding the horizons of contemporary education. It thus becomes a powerful tool for developing intellectual capacities: it encourages questioning, doubt, deconstruction, and reinvention. It refines critical thinking and fuels research, enhancing problem-solving abilities in real-world contexts.

A way of thinking—and therefore an education—capable of embracing wholeness, the deep unity of knowledge, and complexity offers a broader and more authentically human vision of innovation. It represents a political, cultural, and pedagogical choice: to educate not only competent technicians, but creative and responsible individuals capable of thinking, choosing, challenging certainties, and breaking free from preconceived formulas—critical, participatory, and aware citizens, able to take responsibility for their actions and their impact on others.

Thirty years ago, the Delors Report (1996) introduced the perspective of lifelong learning and identified the four pillars of education: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be. A milestone that continues to inspire even today—a vision recognized as an essential foundation for any democratic project. Moving forward along this trajectory, including the arts in educational pathways becomes essential. It means learning to feel, opening the way to a decisive dimension for the present: learning to think—a capacity now more necessary than ever.

Figlie dell'Infinito: Breaking the Centrality of the Masculine
Within the dialogue between the seminar and the exhibition Daughters of the Infinite, the works of Ilaria Margutti—drawn from the achievements of women scientists—convey the power of a perspective capable of breaking the centrality of the masculine. More than a celebratory gesture, Margutti’s research functions as a device of inquiry, challenging hierarchies of knowledge and inviting a rethinking of the relationship between the visible and the invisible, between scientific understanding and symbolic dimensions. The invitation is to cultivate one’s strength, believe in one’s abilities, and keep curiosity alive about the workings of the world, free from fears imposed by sterile and constraining legacies.

The “infinite” evoked in the title is not an abstract category but an experience that opens new horizons and builds bridges where society erects walls: the possibility of imagining worlds in which self-realization can occur without gender limitations, without encountering unjust barriers. The cosmic relationships explored by the artist reveal an ancient harmony and a feminine potential that traverses space. The exhibited works speak of scientific research and female intuition that have delved into the laws of the universe, glimpsing fragments of order within the chaos of the unknown.

Connecting past and future, the artist’s message emphasizes female strength and resilience, narrating a potential that—though often marginalized, and at times concealed—persists as a latent creative force, ready to reemerge and regenerate the fabric of reality. Ilaria Margutti’s art investigates and connects. It does not divide, but integrates, with the awareness that every form is incomplete, every knowledge is relational, and every boundary is a passage. Her diaphanous weavings—woven from time and sensitivity—become a tool for reflecting broadly on the meaning of connections: between people, and between the sensitive and rational dimensions of knowledge.

With this strength, grounded in empathy, critical thinking, and relationships, it is capable of breaking established patterns in order to renew them. Starting from the choice of expression through a material and a technique historically laden with high metaphorical potential: fabric and embroidery.

The thread that passes through the fabric carries the significance of a spatial diagram, a form of poetic calculation that contextualizes the human journey in the universe. Every embroidered stitch is both a geometric decision and a contemplative pause. The needle becomes an extension of the mind, traversing the boundary between body and idea, between calculation and intuition, between chaos and order. For Margutti, entering the world of art has the profound meaning of exploring the world from another perspective, venturing into the hidden part of reality. The embroidery, the artist explains, has a visible map while simultaneously recording the movement of the hand on the reverse side: “In an embroidered fabric, we see the separate stitches, and then as soon as we turn it over, we find that all the threads are connected. It is on this invisible side that we walk every day.”

The reverse speaks of movement, of paths: it is the map of decisions, gestures, and choices made to reach the optimal solution. To look at it is, therefore, to discover a system of interconnected points—a metaphor for the network of connections that surrounds us, invisible yet fundamental.

Shifting Perspectives: When Differences Become Shared Space
Every time we look at things from a new angle or with a different mindset, we discover possibilities we had not seen before. Changing perspective allows us to overcome the limits we once believed existed and to approach a reality that previously seemed incomprehensible or unreachable.

The dual perspective referenced in the title of the study day evokes a gaze free to move in any direction. Dual, like human perception, which relies on both brain and heart, for a person is a balance of reasoning and emotion, logic and creativity, and in this sense must be understood in their entirety. Dual, because it opens a space in which the tension between individual needs and those of the society we live in can be reconciled through encounter and dialogue. From this dynamic arises the power to overcome barriers, conditioning, and prejudice.

Shared space does not arise from uniformity, but from the value recognized in the plurality of perspectives and the synthesis of diverse skills and talents. It is something that goes beyond physical location: it is the space in which every person can express their voice, contribute both humanly and professionally, and cultivate culture through authentic exchange. A space that exists precisely because differences are recognized, interact, and become the fabric of a community capable of growth.

The Subtle Fabric of “Us”

“History is made above all of encounters, exchanges, and unexpected cross-pollinations. Certainly, diversity has been a source of conflict and war, but it has also been the very breath of the world, the force that has enabled transformations and change” Alessandro Vanoli⁴

The culture we need is one that sees in others not a threat, but an opportunity. Diversity understood as a resource and a chance for growth, an opportunity to broaden horizons and foster encounters between different perspectives, experiences, and skills.

The culture we aspire to is a continuous process that shapes people, nurtures curiosity, and enables individuals to develop fully. It encompasses two dimensions: it is both what we learn and, at the same time, what we become through what we learn (Vanoli). A culturally vibrant society is capable of defending the idea that all people—regardless of gender, social class, or background—are equal and have the right to think, learn, and participate.

The way a society decides who can be educated, grow, and gain autonomy shapes its very structure. It resonates in professional roles and social and economic expectations, determining who holds power, who prospers, and how resources and opportunities are distributed. Unfortunately, neither in the past nor today has it ever been guaranteed that such access is truly available to everyone. A glance at recent history shows how long (and ongoing) has been the struggle of women to study, work, and participate in public life. A central point, therefore, in gender equality.

Respect for differences goes beyond simple tolerance, defining itself as the authentic coexistence of differences, according to the latest formulation by Fabrizio Acanfora, developed by Vera Gheno. A conceptually rich expression, where the idea of coexistence emphasizes the reciprocity of interaction while suggesting a shared living space, a space of everyday experience. It is an invisible fabric woven from fine threads that intertwine day by day, in language and gestures. From these threads arises the deep sense of “us”: capable of building a future that is not imposed, but woven together—with care, listening, and responsibility.

Talent in the Shadows: It’s Not a Matter of Ability, but of Opportunity
Culture is also the space in which the battle against stereotypes is waged—against rigid gender roles, against the idea that males and females have predetermined destinies. Analyzing the reasons and dynamics that fuel gender inequality highlights imbalanced mechanisms—dense with the interconnection of social, cultural, and regulatory dimensions—and structural conditions that perpetuate its existence across multiple areas of society.

Talent and merit, excellence and quality are undoubtedly engines of development independent of gender and represent a strategic lever for innovation. However, there are specific contextual conditions that must be in place for talent to emerge. Beyond the rhetoric of “rewarding merit,” it remains urgent to ask who truly has access to opportunities to demonstrate skills and abilities, and under what conditions the process of recognizing talent is genuinely equitable. Can there be a true meritocracy without starting equity? And what does talent need to fully develop?

Talent is the lifeblood that sparks change. It is not an isolated gift, but a potential that can be further nurtured through practice, targeted training, and favorable contexts. To emerge, it requires the support of real opportunities for growth. Yet the concept of merit risks containing exclusionary mechanisms if it is not backed by policies capable of recognizing the value of women’s human capital and ensuring equal access to resources, opportunities, and fair conditions of progression and treatment.

Access to equal opportunities and equality of conditions are two distinct but complementary dimensions of the issue:

• Equality of opportunity ensures that all individuals with the necessary skills can participate in decision-making and professional processes;
• Equality of conditions, on the other hand, guarantees that such participation is not hindered by asymmetrical barriers that would penalize only certain groups—in this case, women.

The list of penalties affecting women’s careers is long and complex, spanning structural barriers, unconscious biases, stereotypes, wage gaps, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and in high-income sectors. It manifests in the forms of explicit or latent discrimination, reduced recognition, microaggressions, and inequitable structural conditions, such as disproportionate family responsibilities, limited work-life balance measures, and lower pay.

The gap is even more pronounced in technical and scientific fields, where female underrepresentation and the dropout from scientific, technological, and engineering careers are heavily influenced not only by the lack of adequate support, but also by persistent cultural legacies that continue to associate women primarily with caregiving roles, hindering their access and full recognition.

Yet this is a professional sector in Italy that urgently needs competent people, regardless of gender. Addressing the issue of work means confronting identity, value-based, and collective questions.

It is widely recognized that work constitutes one of the main environments for building social identity. The position one holds in the productive world functions as a device of recognition—or of lack of recognition in cases of gender discrimination—that profoundly influences the construction of the self. For women, the penalizing dynamics listed above generate fatigue, discomfort, and a constant tension between the desire to express their subjectivity and the limitations imposed by the productive context.

Daily practices of resistance therefore represent an attempt to preserve one’s identity in hostile environments. Here too, the examples are many: from enduring harsh conditions, balancing multiple roles, to adapting and negotiating compromises.

A burden that often remains hidden, impacting both well-being and the perception of one’s own value. This is a topic still too rarely discussed and, in effect, represents not only an inequity but also a waste of resources and physical and emotional energy that could be invested far more effectively elsewhere.

Greater equity between women and men in the workforce translates into a broader availability of skills, improved organizational performance, and a greater ability to attract and retain talent. Ultimately, it leads to the achievement of higher-quality results. Gender equality is much more than a right enshrined in our Constitution or a mere question of social justice—it represents a strategic factor for economic growth, the sustainable development of society as a whole, and the future of new generations. The strength of women must be reimagined by recognizing their rightful place in work and society.

The Construction Site of Equality: Regenerating Culture, Transforming Systems
Restoring balance in terms of equality requires a collective commitment aimed at building an inclusive culture, where talent can freely express itself and difference is recognized as a resource. In today’s context of profound social, economic, and technological transformations, not free from global tensions, a culture of respect and diversity strengthens the cohesion and resilience of our communities. It represents a way of being, even before a way of acting. This implies an educational effort capable of dismantling prejudices, exclusions, and traditional paradigms, countering all forms of discrimination and breaking down the stereotypes that still limit human potential.

Every barrier dismantled is a step toward new opportunities for the women of today and tomorrow. Cultural transformations must be accompanied by systemic reforms through institutional, educational, and economic actions.

Ensuring equal conditions means providing genuinely fair professional paths, sensitive to individual circumstances, free from structural obstacles, and based on equitable treatment, including in terms of pay. Essential tools include work-life balance policies, fairly distributed parental leave, and flexible organizational models, together with the promotion of inclusive leadership and the role of women in decision-making processes, as well as support for women’s entrepreneurship.

Safeguarding democracy
Recognition and respect for diversity are the foundation of democratic life. Guaranteeing every individual equal opportunities and full access to the development of talent—both in culture and in the workplace—means safeguarding uniqueness and allowing full expression: a principle of equity and inclusion inseparable from the very idea of equality and freedom. Democracy enables the creation of a space where differing opinions, cultures, and lifestyles are valued and coexist, and where conflicts are resolved peacefully. It is reflected in the language we use, in the way we communicate, and in the respect with which we value others without being influenced by preconceived ideas.

Democracy lives through the dynamic balance between the self and the collective. It is an unfinished collective work, evolving with generations and sustained only if supported by a shared project, defended daily. It is a relatively young, fragile, and precious good, to be preserved with consistency and responsibility. In this context, recognizing and addressing gender inequality is an act that renews the quality of civil coexistence, because democracy thrives in the care with which it includes voices, experiences, and talents; it flourishes in the differences it is able to sustain, in the spaces it makes habitable for all people. Where this care falters, not only is a right lost, but the very architecture of public and democratic life is undermined.

Democracy is a fabric woven from the threads of citizenship, institutions, and social relationships: by weaving differences together, the pattern gains coherence, and the design acquires beauty. Point by point, female strength tells its story. A embroidery made of gestures, rebellions, struggles, and achievements, born from a patient intertwining of identity, effort, and perseverance. The reverse side of the canvas reveals a path often against the wind, necessary to oppose a history that denied rights, restricted action, and obscured visibility.

The design that sketches change draws inspiration from the harmony of the cosmos: a universe of possibilities where every individual follows their own trajectory, free to shine in their uniqueness. Women’s space is where female presence generates new energies, strengthens, and expands. Not a corner to carve out to repair centuries of marginalization, but a horizon to inhabit: luminous, necessary, infinite.

Bibliographic and Web References

• G. Bocchi and M. Ceruti (edited by), La sfida della complessità, Feltrinelli, Milan 1985
• S. Bonomini (edited by), Figlie dell'infinito. Catalogo della mostra, egislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, 2025
• F. Florenzano, E. Morin, J. Delors, L'educazione ovvero l'utopia necessaria. Il valore dell'apprendimento continuo nella società contemporanea, EdUp, Rome 1998
• V. Gheno, Potere alle parole: perché usarle meglio, Einaudi, Turin 2019
• E. Morin, La testa ben fatta. Riforma dell'insegnamento e riforma del pensiero, Raffaello Cortina editore, Milan 2000
• M. C. Nussbaum, Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, Princeton University Press, 2010
• UNESCO, Learning: The Treasure Within (Rapporto Delors), 1996
• La “Convivenza delle Differenze” published on fabrizioacanfora.eu
• Figlie dell’Infinito | Exhibit L’Assemblea legislativa della Regione Emilia-Romagna celebra l’8 marzo con la mostra “Figlie dell’infinito” di Ilaria Margutti a cura di Silvia Bonomini, published on ilariamargutti.com

Photo: Ilaria Margutti, Daughters of Infinity Black - 2024 - Hand embroidery on double transparent synthetic canvas and cotton - From the artist's studio - Photography by Elisa Nocentini

1. Edgar Morin, La testa ben fatta. Riforma dell'insegnamento e riforma del pensiero, Raffaello Cortina editore, 2000, p. 121. ↩︎
2. Silvia Bonomini (edited by), Figlie dell'infinito. Catalogo della mostra, Assemblea Legislativa della Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2025, p. 11. ↩︎
3. Edgar Morin, I sette saperi necessari all’educazione del futuro, Raffaello Cortina, 2001, p. 38. The concept of complexus is already introduced in Morin, Le vie della complessità in Gianluca Bocchi and Mauro Ceruto (edited by), La sfida della complessità, Feltrinelli, 1985, pp. 49-60. ↩︎
4. Figlie dell'infinito, p.10. ↩︎