VERONA, ITALY – One of the main objectives of Marmomac, scheduled for September 24 to 27, 2024 at Veronafiere in Verona, Italy, is undoubtedly the education dedicated to natural stone. Architects, designers and professionals find at Marmomac a rich program of discussions, meetings and workshops to deepen their understanding of stone culture and develop their skills in the field. An important education program is also aimed at the "professionals of tomorrow" within the framework of “Marmomac meets Academies,” which for years, under the guidance of architect and professor Giuseppe Fallacara, has been exploring the applications of stone material by involving a network of prestigious Italian and international universities. 

Within The Plus Theatre, in Pavilion 10, “Marmomac meets Academies” presents “Ceci nʼest pas un fossile,” an exhibition of projects and artifacts created with the support of industry companies by young creatives from schools of architecture, industrial design, fine arts and engineering in Italy, France, Portugal, New Zealand, Argentina and the U.S.

“Ceci nʼest pas un fossile” places at the center of visitor reflection on the theme of the future of stone design, primarily focusing on the close relationship between knowledge and know-how, theory and practice, artisanal craftsmanship and the most advanced technology. These concepts will materialize in creating an innovative setup that stages a hypothetical "design workshop of the future" where computational design coexists seamlessly with digital fabrication and artisanal wisdom with all its related technical tools. The form of this "workshop" is inspired by the world of stone, and specifically, by fossil shells contained within sedimentary stone, which, when cut, reveal the characteristic logarithmic spiral shape. 

The idea arises from a morphological and conceptual similarity between Magritte's famous "pipe" and the exhibition fossil, both united by the curvilinear/spiral shape that metaphorically refers to something else beyond its essence. The contrast between representation and reality lies in the meaning of the exhibition: a fossil is far from being immobile in inert matter but, on the contrary, becomes the keeper of life, as it was in life, to generate action and creation.

The setup is not the only protagonist of the space, developed in its three-dimensional aspect and interpreted as a large origami divided into a myriad of precious triangular fragments. Inside it, young students will also be present. In addition to designing the works in collaboration with companies in the stone sector, they will be engaged in animating the pavilion throughout the days of the fair.