Abitanti

Developing the staging architecture for the Abitanti exhibition anchored this project within Studio Folder. The work focused on exhibition design and digital fabrication, creating a cohesive spatial environment to display the work of nine Italian photographers. Exploring the concept of contemporary living in Italy, the project required translating a variety of photographic media and a large-scale introductory data visualization into a unified physical experience.

The physical display system was built using black valcromat and linoleum, forming a discrete, neutral layer to support the exhibited objects. A series of structural variations was generated and manufactured through CNC milling, allowing the architecture to adapt to different media types. The structural supports were designed to be mutually supportive, linking the diverse works through consistent material elements and precise digital fabrication techniques.

Creating a temporary exhibition required balancing structural stability with the need for rapid deployment and future mobility. The display units were engineered to be easily assembled using simple joints and bolts, avoiding permanent adhesives or complex hardware. This modular approach validated the system's flexibility, ensuring the entire staging could be efficiently dismantled after the initial run to facilitate subsequent movements and reassembly in new locations.

The completed staging system was deployed for the Abitanti exhibition, curated by Matteo Balduzzi and held at the Milan Triennale. By integrating the opening data visualization with the modular CNC-milled supports, the physical architecture successfully unified the diverse photographic media into a cohesive spatial narrative. The project demonstrated how digital fabrication and modular hardware can yield robust, reusable exhibition frameworks for major cultural institutions.