“Unknown Unknowns” – The 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition opens with fully 3D-printed staging

The 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition, headed by Stefano Boeri, opened on 15 July and will be open until 11 December 2022. Triennale Milano International Exhibition, which in 2023 will celebrate 100 years since its foundation, is one of the most important events devoted to design and architecture in the International field, and is promoted by Triennale in collaboration with Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and Italy’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The thematic exhibition Unknown Unknowns addresses a series of themes including: gravity, seen as “the greatest designer”, an artisan that tirelessly shake the universe to which we belong; maps, systems by which trajectories and routes are determined; the new challenges facing architecture, that is opening itself up to brand-new prospects such a show to life in extraterrestrial space; and, ultimately, the mysteries linked to deep space.

Following the values of reuse and sustainability, the staging for the thematic exhibition – designed by Space Caviar and created by WASP – is fully created by 3D printing. It was produced in the Triennale by large printers on an architectural scale, using only organic materials, largely originated from the food industry.

For the first time ever, the exhibition design is completely produced inside the museum itself, printing 32 different pieces in only 10 days. Inspired by potter wasp, since 2012 WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) has been developing viable construction processes based on the principles of circular economy, that will create 3D printed houses in a short period of time, and in the most sustainable way possible, using biodegradable and recyclable ‘km 0’ natural materials.

For this project, WASP used the architectural 3D printer Crane WASP. It is a modular collaborative 3D printing system composed of a main printer unit that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the printing area and therefore on the dimensions of the architectural structure to be calculated in 3D.

For the needs of this specific setup, WASP transported and assembled Crane WASP within the museum and mixed the material near the printer on the first floor of the Triennale.

The thematic exhibition is curated by Ersilia Vaudo, an astophysicist and Chief Diversity Officer at the European Space Agency.

The Advisory Board is composed of:

• Hervé Chandès, General Artistic Director, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain (Paris)
• Emanuele Coccia, philosopher and professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris)
• Joseph Grima, curator, orchite and author
• Sarah Ichioka, urban planner, curator and author
• Weng Ling, curatrice e fondatrice curator and founder of Arts innovation
• Mariana Siracusa, designer and researcher

For more information about the Triennale Milano International Exhibition, please visit the WEBSITE.

To learn more about WASP, please visit www.3dwasp.com/en/.