Ambiente is an immersive artwork that takes the form of an artificial forest made of polyester fringe knots. 

The work invites the audience to reflect on the impact of their daily actions on the environment, actively engaging them in the narrative process. Interaction occurs through a symbolic gesture: the addition of a knot, which joins the others to create a visual network capable of telling the story of the ecological crisis and its dramatic global consequences. 

The artificial forest represents a visual and conceptual paradox. On the one hand, it evokes remote and devastated places, such as the Atacama Desert, suffocated by mountains of textile waste, or Accra, overwhelmed by e-waste dumps. On the other, it reflects the consumer habits of wealthier societies, which shift their contradictions onto more vulnerable communities. In this context, polyester becomes a silent and immortal witness to a crisis that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries, symbolising the broken promise of progress that ignores its devastating environmental and social consequences. Despite the apparent beauty of its structure, the forest conceals an uncomfortable truth: behind its carefully curated aesthetic lies the impact of our everyday choices, which reverberate on the environment. Every added knot becomes a tangible mark, a silent warning: just as polyester endures over time, so too do our actions, however small, leave a lasting and permanent imprint on the planet. 

Ambiente invites us to look beyond semblance, to recognise the intimate connection between our actions and the planet’s fate. 

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A core aspect of Ambiente is its educational dimension. Part of the installation came to fruition through collaboration with the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Giuseppe & Quintino Sella in Biella and Cittadellarte’s Open School. Primary and middle school students actively participated in the project, learning the value of reusing materials and considering the environmental impact of their daily actions. This hands-on experience offered them a meaningful opportunity for creative learning and nurturing environmental awareness through creation.