Design Spaziale Italiano
An itinerant multimedia project curated by Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro
Design Spaziale Italiano is an itinerant multimedia project curated by Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro and promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Its goal is to highlight the strategic role of Design for Space, an avant-garde field in which Italy excels, with Politecnico di Milano pioneering its development since 2001 and actively contributing to its growth and promotion.
Design is the synthesis of creativity and innovation, acting as a bridge between science, technology, and beauty.
Design for Space propels us into a future where living on other planets becomes possible, requiring us to adapt to confined environments, reduced gravity, and the unique challenges of outer space. These changes will redefine our understanding of comfort and the way we live.
What does it mean to Design for Space, and what does it involve? What principles guide design to enhance the quality of life and optimize astronauts’ performance?
The format, hosted at the diplomatic missions in Prague, London, Paris, and Vienna, consists of events and exhibitions featuring physical products, digital content, installations, and videos, exploring different forms of storytelling to communicate how the form and function of everyday objects can change in the transition from Earth to Space.
The public will explore a transition driven by innovative, sustainable and inclusive projects that inspire new ideas. From the possibility of building greenhouses for cultivating, transforming, and conserving microalgae on the lunar surface, to designing prosthetic objects that extend astronauts' performance, the new environments and design objects can improve comfort and performance, ultimately determining the success of entire missions: from the International Space Station to the more visionary lunar and Martian settlement projects, the future of interplanetary exploration is taking shape.
Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro, the project’s curators, are among the world’s leading experts in Architecture and Design for Space. They collaborate with space industries and design companies through the Department of Design at Politecnico di Milano, where they also lead the ESA_LAB@PoliMi_Design laboratory.
Since 2017, they have directed Space4InspirACTion, the first and only international Design for Space course, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and hosted by the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano.
On the occasion of the exhibitions, the Image Lab of the Department has made a number of videos available at this link.
Upcoming events:
PRAGUE
Exhibition
4-20 December 2024
Scuderie of Embassy of Italy
Nerudova 20, Prague
At the Prague venue, in addition to the exhibition of panels and videos, there will also be the installation The Cities of the Universe by Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro.
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PARIS
Opening
9 December 2024
ESA
8/10 Rue Mario Nikis
75015 Paris
Exhibition
12-19 December 2024
OECD
2 rue André Pascal
75016 Paris
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LONDON
Exhibition
11 December 2024
Italian Embassy in London
4 Grosvenor Square
London W1K 4AE
Lecture by Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro
11 December 2024 at 11:00 am
Istituto Marangoni London
30 Fashion Street
E1 6PX London
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VIENNA (TBD)
