April 17 to 23, 2023 in Milano: Bioregional Design Practices by Atelier LUMA
On the occasion of the 2023 Salone del Mobile Milano,
LUMA Arles is pleased to invite you to discover the exhibition:
Bioregional Design Practices by Atelier LUMA
from April 17 to 23, 2023
ALCOVA
Viale Molise 62
Milano
All of the objects and furnishings presented in this exhibition were created by combining locally available material and human resources.
From construction materials to upholstery fabrics, and from plant-based shoes to molded palm sheath, all of the experimental objects resulted from careful investigation and extensive collaboration.
Five large installations offer sensory experiences rooted in specific cultural and natural landscapes. Rice straw, salt, textiles, and wool provide glimpses into the bioregion surrounding Arles through sound, light, colors, motifs, and textures. Algae and agricultural byproducts take shape as bioplastic seating in the exhibition’s discussion space. Middle Eastern materials, including palm fronds, are used to reimagine a traditional sitting area, where fragrances created by Jorge Fernandez, perfumer at Givaudan, evoke desert landscapes.
Atelier LUMA, a biodesign laboratory located in the Parc des Ateliers in Arles, honed its approach through a firm anchoring in its own bioregion: Arles, the Camargue, the Alpilles
mountains, and the Crau plains.
In the United Arab Emirates, Atelier LUMA co-curates research with Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (ICCC), chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. The research investigates the role indigenous crafts can play in designing and building the future of the UAE. ICCC operates a pioneering range of creative and cultural initiatives designed to foster a sustainable economy around the UAE’s heritage crafts, one of which is the Design Labs II initiative: a research fellowship with the American University of Sharjah’s College of Architecture, Art and Design. The result of this fellowship is a growing material library of recipes displayed within the cabinets of the exhibition.