Epiphanies
Extracting, carving, honing and polishing: these are the actions through which the stonemason reveals the “face” of marble, hidden and preserved over time.
The exhibition explores the surprising qualities of natural stone, which emerge as true epiphanies during the various stages of processing. Technological evolution—through continuous advances in both block processing and surface finishing—has led to ever higher levels of quality, unveiling unprecedented aspects of this ancient material.
Too often, stone is perceived as heavy, cold and opaque. Yet, when worked with mastery—and sometimes through innovative and extreme techniques—it can reveal unexpected characteristics.
Through exclusive projects by international designers and architects, and through distinctive processing methods, the exhibition aims to surprise visitors, highlighting the extraordinary potential of stone and encouraging the industry to experiment and fully enhance the qualities of this fascinating material.
RAFFAELLO GALIOTTO
Curator
After studying Fine Arts at the Academy of Venice, he directed his interests towards design and founded his own studio in 1993. With a strong focus on materials and technology, he has developed in-depth expertise in production processes, characterising his projects through experimentation and innovative solutions. He works with both artificial materials, such as plastics, and natural ones, including marble.
He collaborates with numerous companies, creating products, collections and experimental exhibitions, particularly within the stone sector, introducing innovations through the use of digital technologies. He has published books, takes part in conferences and delivers lectures on stone design. He was Professor of Design at the University of Ferrara from 2012 to 2019.
Designers
Matteo Fraticelli, Marcela Sottile _ FROM architecture
Company
Grassi Pietre
Materials
Pietra di Vicenza qualità Perla Blu
The project is inspired by the specific physical and morphological characteristics of Vicenza Stone, Perla Blu variety—a stone marked by a strong light–dark chromatic duality that recalls the Yin and Yang of Chinese philosophy.
The installation consists of a meditation cabin in which visitors are invited to sit and listen to the perfect balance of this duality. The walls are made through a sequence of vertical cuts, recomposed in a book-like pattern and held together by a hidden fibreglass mesh that allows the walls to curve. The floor is made of gravel obtained from processing waste.
A Structural Renaissance for a Sustainable Future
Designers
Anne Hangebruch, Mark Ammann Architekten
GROUPWORK
Company
Bamberger Natursteinwerk Hermann Graser
Materials
Mainsandstein white-grey, Neckartäler hard sandstone, Leistädter sandstone, Epprechtstein granite, Kösseine granite
Today, the construction industry is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions, and global built surface area is expected to double over the next 50 years. To address this challenge, four architectural elements—column, wall, beam and slab—have been rethought using hybrid combinations of stone, timber and steel.
Compared to conventional construction materials such as reinforced concrete and steel, stone can contain up to 99% less embodied carbon, be assembled more quickly and at lower cost. This approach demonstrates that it is possible to construct an entire building with stone as the primary load-bearing material, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Designer
Tara Moore – Marble Projects
Engineer
Alessandro Marchetti
Company
Robologica
Material
Bianco Carrara marble
Tara Moore, in collaboration with Alessandro Marchetti of Robologica, combines human intuition with advanced technology through marble, CAM software, 3D modelling and CNC milling. Their sculptural marble seat, LUCIDUM, symbolises stillness, clarity and revelation.
Inspired by a stone shaped by ocean tides, its gently eroded form, light-filtering perforations and immersive soundscape invite reflection, presence and multisensory contemplation.
Designer
Ludson Moulin Zampirolli
Companies
Pellegrini Meccanica, Decormarmi
Material
Capolavoro Picasso by Granistone
Natural stone is a fragment of geological time awaiting interpretation by the human spirit. When worked through its encounter with technology, design reveals its dormant form, manifesting it as an epiphany.
The shape of this object emerges from the dialogue between the physical limits of the material and the mathematical freedom of parametric design. This project goes beyond sculpture, proposing a new design approach to stone in which digital technology acts as a strategic agent, uniting precision and emotion.
