Active Surfaces, the eco-active surfaces of Iris Ceramica Group, protagonists of the Italian Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, from 22 May to 21 November 2021

Iris Ceramica Group, main sponsor of the 2021 Italian Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, curated by architect Alessandro Melis, promotes the Resilient Community project, which places the crisis linked to climate change at the center of the debate. A year that marks the 60th anniversary of entrepreneurial history, renewing the commitment with the international architecture festival.

The investigative work, conducted by Alessandro Melis and the team of co-curators, finds expression in a cyberpunk-inspired laboratory exhibition, in a brand new pavilion with almost zero CO2 impact. As part of this project, the Iris Ceramica Group sponsorship acquires strength and consistency thanks to the commitment that has always been lavished in favor of the environment and the community, with the primary objective of offering high-performance and effective solutions for the spaces in which the man is the protagonist.

Within the exhibition itinerary, divided into 14 sub-communities, the surfaces of Iris Ceramica Group give life to the curatorial installation Cyberwall, the protagonist of the "Architecture as a caregiver" section, focused on the relationship between man and the environment. "It is in this context that the sponsorship of the Italian Pavilion 2021, also through the installation Cyberwall, a wall that knocks down smog and reduces the spread of viruses and bacteria, assumes a strong virtuous value for Iris Ceramica Group: to mark the way to study and the production of forward-looking materials to make urban environments more human-friendly ”, says Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group.

Cyberwall is an imposing wall, made with 300x150 cm Active Surfaces ceramic surfaces, which becomes a meeting place between industrial and creative arts and an icon of sustainability thanks to the use of Iris Ceramica Group materials that stand out for their antibacterial and antivirals with an effectiveness of over 99%, as for their properties capable of degrading pollutants and odorous particles, as well as being self-cleaning.

"The climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity has to face and the world of architecture has a responsibility to make its own contribution. The status quo is not an option, ”explains Alessandro Melis. The Cyberwall installation, from an artistic point of view, is characterized by the drawings and graphic compositions created by the hand of the curator who wanted to experiment with different representation techniques, using the innovative technique of Iris Ceramica Group: Design Your Slabs which offers the possibility to customize ceramic surfaces with any type of image or illustration.