MateriAttiva: a new pact between humans and nature

Iris Ceramica Group and the young architects of SOS – School of Sustainability are
working with Mario Cucinella on a project that began in Bologna with “Pollution 2018”,
bringing the installation MateriAttiva to the Brera Design District.

The project offers visitors a multi-sensory experience guiding them through a space
evoking a new pact between humans and nature. The theme of the Brera Design District
at this year’s FuoriSalone, “Design Your Life”, becomes an opportunity to experiment with
use of new generation eco-active materials, our allies in the construction of spaces that
improve human wellbeing while contributing to the future of the planet.
The Iris Ceramica Group, a pioneer in the development of sustainable technologies and
production processes, makes an essential contribution to research into the performance
of Matter, which is no longer inert but Active, improving the quality of the environment
in the spaces where it is used.

The installation recreates the cave, a place of primordial purity where we rediscover
the elements from which life takes form. The material’s intrinsic properties are made
visible by the action of light, water and sound. just as the properties of infinitesimally
tiny elements can have effects on a much larger scale, the coordinated action of multiple
individuals can achieve forms of collective intelligence.

When visitors cross the threshold, they are immersed in an individual path marked by the
rhythm of ceramic stalactites, with an intimate atmosphere characterised by the sound
of drops falling onto a thin veil of water, generating subtle light effects.
In making the transition to the second room, they “re-emerge” from the cave to discover
the social dimension of the visitor experience. The breathing of the tree that is the key
to the central space reminds us of the need to welcome inspiration from the hidden
mechanisms of nature in order to design materials that allow us to live in
harmony with it.

The installation is completed with a teaser at the main entrance on Via Balzan and a big
pure block identifying the lounge area on Via San Marco, a ceramic landmark underlining
the power of the Group’s maxi-slabs.