Not only is Marmomac the most important trade fair dedicated to the marble and natural stone industry, a gathering place (this year more than ever, after the many long months apart due to the COVID-19 emergency), a meeting, business, and knowledge opportunity.
Marmomac also and above all proves to be a place where creativity, experimentation, and innovation are the protagonists, setting the future trends in the industry and polling on where we’ve come up so far. In this occasion, since already 6 years, the experimentation has a special and dedicated area: it’s The Italian Stone Theater, a space inside Marmomac exhibition entirely dedicated to experimentation, in architecture and design, with projects based on the use of stone materials. Here’s what you need to know about it!
time in stone
What most distinguishes natural stone from artificial stone products is time: the stratification of rocks, in fact, is evidence of the evolutionary processes of nature and specifically of this material. From its first flint tips to the final result, whether it is represented by a sculpture, an architecture/ design work, or a building, stone is always characterized by a deep narrative meaning, able to tell the evolution of mankind over time. Therefore, “The Italian Stone Theatre – Time Stone” is dedicated to this topic.
in our time
From the most remote past until the present day, in choosing the stone material, no matter what the final use is, you need to take into account its durability or, alternatively, it’s necessary to consider its subsequent re-use or recycling. Today more than ever, in fact, design is made easier by technology and CNC machinery, which in laboratories allow complex and accurate products to be made, with shaped cuts, reduction of the amount of waste and repetition for mass production. The exhibition reflects upon the current use of stone through a series of innovative experimental projects created by six designers and produced by ssix teams from Italian companies in the stone industry.
paths of art
The increasing importance of digital technology in all activities meets the traditions of the stone industry, in an always original and dynamic mixture of ancient and modern: the materials of the past and their traditional uses can reveal new characteristics that go beyond what could have been previously envisaged. In the same way, natural stone thanks to digital technology, can reveal a surprisingly new aspect, once again fully reinstating itself in the contemporary world. The Paths of Art exhibition, now at its third edition, seeks to investigate the idea of using CNC machines in the artistic processing of stone.
young stone project
Marmomac, again this year, promotes and supports the inclusion of content related to the use of stone in design disciplines in the teaching of some prestigious Italian universities, also supporting research and design experimentation with natural stone through the introduction of curricular and master courses dedicated to this material. All this was possible also thanks to the collaboration of many Italian companies in the marble and machinery sectors, which have supported university research with their experience and know-how, making it possible to turn student projects into actual prototypes.
brand & stone 3.0
The exploration of natural stone through new applications in design, art, and hospitality is the focus of this exhibition that, through the works displayed and analyzed in the various stages of research, answers the need to bring designers and great international designer brands closer to the use of natural stone in their collections. Marmomac does so also through the “Designer Tables:” a collection of tables created by famous names on the scene, telling us about sustainability, technology, art, and different sources of inspiration. For a new awareness of the limitless potential of the use of natural stone.
