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ARS: tradition and innovation - Progetto Zenone curates Marche Region exhibition at Expo 2025 Osaka
From 1 to 7 June 2025, Progetto Zenone is proud to serve as curator and coordinator of the exhibition “ARS – tradition and innovation”, representing Marche Region within the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Working closely alongside public institutions, private enterprises, and regional designers, our studio developed the exhibition’s overarching concept, guided its narrative framework, and oversaw all aspects of content selection and cultural coherence. This project is a continuation of our long-standing commitment to promoting the Marche territory through an integrated methodology that blends architecture, culture, and participation.ARS: tradition and innovation - Progetto Zenone curates Marche Region exhibition at Expo 2025 Osaka
Just three letters — ARS — encapsulate a huge and deep meaning: art, but also skills, talent, craftsmanship, technique, discipline and creation. A tribute to the ingenuity and ‘know-how’ that define the identity of Marche Region.
Inspired by Renaissance artisan workshops — symbolically evoked in the niches at the Pavilion’s entrance — the exhibition “Ars: tradition and innovation” showcases the region’s excellent products and companies, globally recognized for their ability to project traditions into the future. Theirs are not mere products, but true works of art — living expressions of the Marche’s cultural heritage.
The exhibition, curated by Progetto Zenone with exhibition design and graphic design by elleemme studio, unfolds across four narrative sections. Iconic Marche products are presented in immersive environments, defined by the presence of byōbu — modular, freestanding panels evoking the interior of a Japanese house. In each room, the exhibited objects are embraced by a landscape made of contour lines, echoing the region’s rolling hills and natural harmony.
Each object engages in a dialogue made of intertwines: tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and art, individuals and cultural connections.
In the “Weave and Knot” section, a lace dress created by Offida lacemakers is paired with the Pastorella, a straw hat made specifically for the exhibition by Montappone women.
The “Handcraft and Innovation” section hosts two iconic design products of Marche design: the red leather Vanity Fair armchair by Poltrona Frau and the Gommino loafers by Tod’s.
In the “Connecting Lives” section, everyday design objects reflect a cross-cultural exchange between Italy and Japan: the Ghost armchair by FIAM Italia, designed by Cini Boeri and Tomu Katayanagi, sits alongside with the Kimono slippers by Gallucci Srl, made from repurposed Japanese obi silk. On the opposite wall, a series of tapestries, produced by Sailmaker for I-Mesh, showcases designs by Kengo Kuma, Yuko Nagayama, Tomo Ara, and Migliore+Servetto.
The final section, “Future and Design”, presents a single extraordinary piece: the innovative interactive SFS2 (Smart Flight Suit 2), developed by Spacewear and the only suit authorized by NASA for use during the AX-3 mission aboard the International Space Station. A unique creation that revolutionizes traditional textile and clothing systems through technological innovation, supporting humans in their journey into space.
At the heart of the exhibition stands the installation “Controluce”, designed by Oliviero Fiorenzi: a backlit wall of watermark paper that serves as a symbolic bridge between Marche Region and Japan. It was created on-site with watermark paper handcrafted by three young master papermakers from Fabriano, now united under the cooperative Manualis. The work evokes the essence of the Japanese home as a welcoming space for Marche’s master artisans.
Marche Region becomes a stage for art, innovation and intercultural dialogue, offering Expo 2025 visitors an immersive journey into the heart of a territory where craftsmanship is a living legacy, passed down through generations. With “Ars: tradition and innovation”, Marche Region invites us to reflect on art as the human capacity to move forward — towards the future — by placing skills and creativity at the center of every enterprise and product made in Marche.
STUDIO
TWO CORES
Founded in 1997, Progetto Zenone is an independent practice working at the intersection of architecture, culture, and territory.
Its work moves from building reactivation to identity and heritage, combining spatial transformation with cultural processes to promote long-term, sustainable impact.
Designing space as a tool for transformation, inclusion, and valorization:
– Architecture and heritage regeneration
– Accessibility and social inclusion
– Strategic design
Activating communities and landscapes through shared narratives:
– Network building
– Participatory processes
– Storytelling and cultural interpretation
– Fundraising and project sustainability
WHO WE WORK FOR
We support institutions, organizations, and businesses in imagining and implementing projects that connect architecture, culture, and territory.
- Public Administrations
Municipalities, regions, and public agencies working on spatial and cultural development.
- Cultural Institutions
Museums, libraries, and cultural centers committed to access, education, and heritage.
- Associations and Nonprofits
Third-sector organizations engaged in social innovation and community building.
- Enterprises
Companies that invest in cultural value, identity, and territorial regeneration.