Reclaim our future

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Collective Artistic Residency – Designing and Building a Monumental Installation in cascina merlata, milan (2023)

Architectural concept
3D modeling (Sketchup)

Visuals & graphics
Creative laboratories, activities & workshops

Direction of building phase
Building Workshops
Event organisation

In collaboration with Mare Culturale Urbano and Associazione Lop Lop

⓵ PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES
UNCONVENTIONAL MAPS, abstract sculptures and customised totems

3 Workshops
~50 artworks conceived
6 Maps drafts
30 kids & teenagers involved

These activity workshops aimed to capture the essence and connections of the San Siro district in Milan; I and my teammate encouraged participants to explore and express their perceptions of the neighborhood and its shared spaces.

The idea was to uncover each person’s unique view of these familiar environments by translating them into the final architectural installation that brings out its multifaceted perspectives.

Our journey began with a collaborative mapping created on multiple interpretive levels. The layers were successfully overlapped atop one another, forming a transparent, multi-shaped map revealing coinciding perspectives and details.

In the second laboratory, participants shaped and built abstract «travel sculptures» with colored cards, scissors, and markers, using the previous map as a foundation; indeed, these forms represent the most meaningful places and connections they’ve experienced within the community, capturing the spirit of each location they’ve chosen, anchoring these pieces to the map in ways that reflect their interactions and memories.

The final session focused on blending these visions into a shared dream for a neighborhood that supports and inspires its residents. Here, participants designed some «neighborhood windows» – small boxes decorated with drawings, mini collages, and symbols of their aspirations for the area. These creations finally created a concrete but creative preview of the larger final installation, where individual perspectives and dreams came together to reimagine the ideal neighborhood.

⓶ MAKING THE MONUMENTAL WORK OF ART

1,500 carton boxes
30 km of tape
500+ cardboard box
48h of construction
400+ people involved

The next design phase, focused on developing a 3D prototype of the installation and constructing its various structural components, became a project within a project. Not only did we work on creating and refining the monumental artwork envisioned by artist Olivier Grossetete, but we also undertook the design and assembly of archetypes for arches, bases, portholes, and other elements, starting with simple rectangular cardboard boxes.

After some internal coordination for the construction and assembly of components, we moved on to the collaborative building phase with local citizens to create the installation that would occupy the Cascina Merlata square for 48 hours.

During the construction of the final model, both component-building and structural assembly activities took place in tandem with a considerable assembly line taking shape, thanks to the involvement of all participants in the square. This diverse, collaborative construction process brought together people of all ages—children, teenagers, and adults—from varied family units and communities.

At the end of the building process, we held an “opening-closing” event to celebrate the successful raealization of the monument and everyone involved. The artwork created a temporary skyline, a powerful reminder and architectural inspiration for new projects and ideas.