Milan Design Week 2026 | ALITEIA | AVVASSENA | MARCELLO VIGONI

ALITEIA | AVVASSENA | MARCELLO VIGONI

Three-person exhibition

Fuorisalone Event

Milan Design Week 2026

Opening: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 6:30 PM

Presentation by Alisia Viola

On Wednesday 22 April, on the occasion of Fuorisalone 2026 , MA-EC Gallery inaugurates three artistic projects by Aliteia , Avvassena and Marcello Vigoni , set up in the rooms of Palazzo Durini.

Aliteia | The Garden of Flowers Escaped from the Vase

The artist proposes an investigation that brings together two strands of her recent research. On the one hand, the paintings created at the Royal College of Art in London; on the other, her sculptural experimentation exploring the hybridization and mutation of floral species. What emerges is a path that articulates a thought both poetic and urgent. The paintings originate from ovarian respiration, a meditative practice of South American origin. The performative dimension thus activates the body as a generative device. The gesture inscribes rhythm, error, and variation on the surface, and the pictorial language emerges as an open process, lacking full control, in which the image takes shape as the emergence of an interior that finds a fertile condition in fragility.

The three sculptures in the Impossible Plants series explore biodiversity and transformation. Through grafting endangered species, the artist creates organisms that defy classification, initiating a dialogue between the natural and the artificial and a gaze capable of recognizing value in what lies on the margins.

Within the project, allowing the fragile to flourish and escaping the vase takes on a structural significance. The vase, understood as a containment device and norm, is transcended by a growth that transcends its limits and asserts its autonomy. This escape defines a notion of beauty as a dynamic balance between authenticity, fragility, and the complexity of reality, in which imperfection becomes a generative principle.

Avvasena | Cosmic Twinness

Within this project, Avvassena presents a research that explores the body, language, and matter, connecting the individual dimension and the universal structure. In the Human Cosmogony series , the artist investigates the cosmic dimension that connects all existence. By superimposing abdominal X-rays from different individuals, she constructs images in which the body loses its singularity and opens to an intersubjective condition. The interior becomes a shared space, a field in which differences dissolve into a broader continuity. With Ante Babele , Avvassena imagines an original language, prior to fragmentation. The signs, transcribed in obscure characters and obtained from manipulated plates, evoke an ancestral memory in which word, body, and consciousness move in harmonious dialogue. It is not a code to be deciphered, but a form that evokes a condition of unity, in which communication precedes any division. On this occasion, the artist also presents the new work Gregariousness 1. From Plank to Googol , which introduces a reflection on matter and aggregation processes. From microcrystals of carborundum emerges a continuous structure, constructed through progressive densification. The transition from minimal unity to extended multitude reflects a law of gregariousness that spans the biological and social. Each element exists in relation and contributes to a form that does not close, but remains fluid. Light, refracted by each particle, makes the density of these connections visible. The three works converge in a common vision. The body, language, and matter reveal a common condition of interdependence. "Cosmic twinship" manifests itself as a founding principle. Every element, human or non-human, micro or macro, participates in the same matrix. There is no separation, but rather a profound continuity that binds every living form and the cosmos in an original and shared relationship.

Marcello Vigoni | EGOSYSTEMS#2

The Threshold of Water

Marcello Vigoni, with a site-specific installation accompanied by two fixed-frame videos, explores the tension between the human desire for control and the intrinsic indeterminacy of the aquatic element. Water, devoid of its own form and naturally adaptable to any container, here becomes a metaphor for that which exceeds the limits imposed by man. The project highlights the impossibility of fully containing an element that eludes any stable definition, thus revealing the fragility of human-built systems of measurement and control. In this context, the installation serves as a space for reflection on the human condition, underscoring its finite nature. What emerges is an awareness of the distance between humanity and nature: a relationship marked by an illusion of control that dissolves in the face of the force and mutability of natural elements, giving the viewer a perception of scale in which the human appears inevitably diminished.

Aliteia (Alice Babolin), born in 1985, lives and works in Treviso.

In 2010 he graduated in Modern and Contemporary Philology at Ca' Foscari, Venice. In 2023 he obtained a Master in Crypto Art & NFTs, and in 2025 he attended the

Contemporary Art Summer School, Royal College of Art, London.

Recent exhibitions include: 2025 'I'm Not Cinderella' Mestre, 'Peace Always Has a Chance' Loggia dei Cavalieri, Treviso, 'Our Gestures Can Mirror Peace' Ghiacciaie di Porta Palazzo, Turin, 'To Spend or To Be?' Acquario Romano, Rome and Alveare Culturale, Milan, 2024 'The Ballad of Human Mutations' Archivio Storico della Fondazione Banco di Napoli, Naples, CREA – Cantieri del Contemporaneo, Venice, GAMC – Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Villa Franceschi, Riccione, Villa Borromeo Fantoni, Padua.

Avvassena (born 1998) is a multidisciplinary artist active in Milan.

Her practice stems from a profound interest in the human being and in relationships with others and the environment. She holds a BA in Interior Design and a MA in Communication from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Recent projects include the 2026 Fr8mes Residency, Bolzano, 2025 The Gates South Beach, Miami, Sormani Prize - Young Talents, Geumgang Nature Art Biennale 2025, Gongju, South Korea, and the Oceanic Humanity Installation x One Ocean Foundation, Darsena, Milan.

She addresses social and environmental issues through exhibitions, editorial work, and collaborations with brands and nonprofits. Her goal is to transform art into a space for dialogue, awareness, and meaningful connection.

Marcello Vigoni was born in 1979 in Milan, where he lives and works.

His artistic career began in the world of advertising and graphic design, then continued on two parallel tracks: on the one hand, the world of communications (which led him in 2006 to found the TLS agency, with which he created national and international advertising campaigns, and to the conception and execution of events as Art Director); on the other, that of photography, understood not only as technical experimentation, but rather as a constant search for expression.

Photography – preferred in its analog black and white form – is in fact used by the artist not so much to reproduce reality, but to investigate it beyond the boundaries of the “visible”, revealing a world that seems to spring directly from his mind.

Among the most recent exhibitions, 2025 Egosistemi curated by Elisabetta Bacchin – MA-EC Gallery – Milan, 2023 Multiverso, curated by Roberto Mutti – Festival dei Due Mondi – Casa Museo Menotti – Spoleto (PG), 2022 Multiverso Laura Tartarelli Contemporary Art – Pietrasanta.

Event coordinates :

Title: Aliteia | Avvassena | Marcello Vigoni

Three-person exhibition

Fuorisalone 2026 Event / Milan Design Week 2026

Presentation by Alisia Viola

Opening: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 6:30 PM

Location: MA-EC Gallery Palazzo Durini, Via Santa Maria Valle 2, Milan

Opening hours: 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00 until April 26th

Jury Members

ALISIA VIOLA

AN JIQUAN

MARIA RUMOLO

LIU HONGQIANG

XU NA

VINCENZO SANGALLI

Judging Criteria

To ensure a fair and comprehensive evaluation of all submissions, the judging panel will assess each entry based on the following criteria. Each criterion has been assigned a specific point value, totaling 100 points. The breakdown is as follows:

1. Relevance to Theme (30 points)

   · Alignment with the Theme (15 points): Dialogue between Art and Design. The artwork must reflect a harmonious integration of artistic expression and design functionality.

   · Message Clarity (15 points): The clarity and impact of the message or story conveyed through the artwork regarding the theme of dialogue between Art and Design. How does the work bridge these two fields? Does it prioritize aesthetic emotion, practical innovation, or both?

2. Originality and Creativity (25 points)

   · Innovation (15 points): The uniqueness of the concept, showcasing creativity that stands out from typical representations of the art-design relationship. This includes innovative approaches to material use, presentation, or narrative.

   · Artistic Interpretation (10 points): The artist's personal touch and interpretation of the art-design dialogue, reflecting individuality.

3. Artistic Expression and Technique (20 points)

   · Technical Skill (10 points): Mastery of the chosen medium, including quality of craftsmanship, attention to detail, and technical execution.

   · Aesthetic Appeal (10 points): Overall visual impact of the artwork, including composition, color, balance, and use of space.

4. Use of Sustainable Materials or Methods (15 points)

   · Sustainability in Creation (10 points): Use of recycled, upcycled, or sustainable materials in the creation of the artwork. Consideration will also be given to eco-friendly processes and techniques used in the art-making process.

   · Innovation in Sustainability (5 points): Creative use of sustainable materials or methods that contribute to environmental conservation, going beyond traditional practices.

5. Overall Impression and Impact (10 points)

   · Emotional Impact (10 points): The ability of the artwork to evoke emotions, inspire viewers, and leave a lasting impression, while successfully embodying the art-design dialogue.

Additional Notes:

· The total score will be calculated out of 100 points.

· In the event of a tie, the artwork with the higher score in the "Relevance to Theme" category will be given preference.

· Judges' decisions are final and will be based on the aggregated scores across all criteria.

MA-EC Gallery

Info: info.milanart@gmail.com

Tel: 0239831335

www.ma-ec.it