konstantin grcic generates fantastical landscape with alcantara at MAXXI

every year since 2011, the national museum of 21st-century art (MAXXI) in rome has collaborated with material manufacturer alcantara on a research project that explores the potential and expressive capacities of alcantara as a material, especially in design and architecture. this year, konstantin grcic has been chosen as the protagonist of the third edition ‘studio visit’– a program that invites an internationally renowned designer to execute a personal interpretation of the works of MAXXI’s permanent collection.

responding to the brief, konstantin grcic decided on a common thread among the MAXXI’s architectural archives, placing it in direct connection with the alcantara material. grcic’s exhibition, curated by domitilla dardi, examines the careers of several highly visionary creators: italian engineer sergio musmeci, italian architects giuseppe perugini and maurizio sacripanti — all of whom were active during the second world war — and contemporary lebanese architect bernard khoury.

‘the best projects are those that make you go on a journey to unknown territories,’ grcic explains. ”l’immaginazione al potere’ made me discover the work of five different protagonists — perugini, sacripanti, musmeci, khoury and alcantara — who, each in their own way, are travelers into uncharted dimensions. bringing their work together in this exhibition has led to the creation of yet another unexpected vision.’

in the exhibition conceived by the german designer, a spatial installation invites visitors to lose themselves in the architectural utopia of a speculative landscape of the future, developed in collaboration with yemenite matte painter najeeb alnajjar. elsewhere, a selection of the masters’ original drawings interacts with the enlarged image of alcantara — generating a direct visual connection.

the title ‘l’immaginazione al potere’ (power to imagination) borrows from one of the slogans of the political movements of 1968 — a period which gave rise both to some of the works on show and the original formulation of alcantara. it is also a reminder that an alternative path to the status quo is that of the power of the imagination: the real driving force behind vision and change. the exhibition remains open to the public until march 15, 2020.

exhibition info:

name: l’immaginazione al potere
dates: february 7 – march 15, 2020
designer: konstantin grcic
venue: national museum of 21st-century art (MAXXI), rome, italy