Location :  Home  >  News  > 

“Sisyphus Absurd Hero“ is a monumental, diaphanous support structure 3D-printed in carbon fibre, holding the world aloft. The curators explore the human condition through the metaphor of the myth of Sisyphus, carved into a lithic sphere that unites technology and philosophical narrative. The work was created in a synergy between the New York Institute of Technology, Politecnico di Bari, and Archimed, Anthony Caradonna and Alessandro Angione, along with Francesco Ciriello (from a company specializing in additive manufacturing for orthopaedic devices).

Francesco Ciriello, in collaboration with the Dutch company Vertico and the Politecnico di Bari, presents “Minimal Bridge,“ a stereotomic arched structure in minimally shaped stone voussoirs, 3D-printed using mortars made from stone waste.

Fabio Tellia, associate at Foster + Partners, experiments in “Gateway to Avalon“ with an innovative “flexible stone“ material – a patented blend of slate and polymer. The arch envisioned by Tellia demonstrates how stone, traditionally rigid, can become a flexible cladding for contemporary architecture through integration with 3D-printed components.

Marmomac Meets Academies is part of the annual presentation included in The Plus Theatre. This year, its theme is “Fabula Litica: La Foresta Incantata“ (Lithic Fable: The Enchanted Forest, see rendering on top): A monumental forest of stone trees creating a dreamlike landscape with narrative twists typical of fairy tales. The atmosphere underlines the experimental approach to the material, the machinery, and the design.

One example is “L’io invisibile“ (The invisible self), created by the Politecnico di Bari in collaboration with French SNBR, and La Fanciulla Velata. They updated the famous sculptures of the Sansevero Chapel, particularly Cristo Velato by Giuseppe Sanmartino and Disinganno by Francesco Queirolo. Today, technologies such as ultra-high-resolution 3D scanning, computational modelling, and robotics applied to stoneworking are tackling similar challenges – sculpting seemingly impossible details that surpass human hand capabilities.

Another is “Apriti Sesamo“ (Sesame, Open Up!) applies the principles of kinetic architecture to marble, reinterpreting Jean Nouvel’s iconic moving steel panels of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. A collaboration between Sara D’Adamo, PhD student at the Politecnico of Bari, and the young company Màrlux Marmi, the project represents a novel use of marble: a traditionally heavy, static material becomes a subject of experimentation in unprecedented thicknesses and applications. Thanks to sensors, the stone surfaces open and close in response to sunlight, turning marble into an active architectural component. Unlike steel, marble also offers thermal benefits, acting as an inert material and a natural temperature regulator, thereby aiding passive climate control.

“Why Not?“ is a project from London-based Arup Group Limited, a world-renowned structural engineering company, in collaboration with The Stonemasonry Company and Jakob. Responding to its provocative title, the team explores new structural uses of stone in contemporary architecture. Stone is positioned as a sustainable alternative to more conventional materials, such as steel and concrete.

Other prototypes include

* “Diamond Line,“ a collaboration between the Italian Design Institute and the Chinese company PFM Imp. & Exp. Co. Ltd;

* “Yggdrasill,“ the mythological cosmic tree by Ilaria Cavaliere and Dario Costantino from Poliba, developed with Bianco Cave;

* “Lithic Rainbow“ in collaboration with Stilmarmo of Apricena;

* “Specchio, specchio delle mie brame,“ (Mirror, mirror the wall) created with Gioia Marmi;

* “Metamorphosis,“ the central arboreal installation developed with Màrlux Marmi, a company specialising in complex, custom stonework with high technical content.

The exhibition also features:

* “Janas,“ a project from the University of Sassari with Pietre Rare, a Verona-based stoneworking firm;

* “Tappeto volante“ (Flying Carpet) from the University of Basilicata in collaboration with Mastropasqua Marmi and Tarricone Prefabbricati;

* “Sipario dalle mille storie“ (The Curtain for Thousand Stories) from the University of Palermo with Cusenza Marmi;

* “Branching-Knot,“ presented by the University of Bergamo with Studio di Scultura d’Arte Giorgio Angeli, concluding the exhibit with a tribute to nature and contemporary sculpture.

Finally, prototypes made from reused marble core samples are reborn as design objects by Stoneform in collaboration with young designers, and Germinario Marmi presents a diaphanous column composed of bolted marble tesserae.