earthrise 26 – design for a living planet residency

For its 2026 edition, Earthrise - Design for a Living Planet explores clay-based materials, ceramics, earthenware and their derivatives, as cultural, environmental and design resources for the present. The project approaches clay beyond the functional object, considering it as narrative, spatial and critical matter. What can clay still communicate when freed from function and returned to a space of inquiry?

The exhibition rethinks materials as active matter: able to record gesture, retain time and render transformation visible. In this sense, clay becomes a critical device to reconsider not only what we produce, but also how and why we produce it.

The project featured in the exhibition will be developed through a residency hosted at Circolo del Design, in Turin, Italy.  Under the mentorship of Designregio Kortrijk, BASE Milano and others, the selected designer in residence will collaborate with local design and artisan communities, companies, researchers and transdisciplinary experts across Turin and the wider Piedmont area.

The residency combines site visits, exchanges and material experimentation. The final output may take the form of an object, an installation or other experimental formats. Both the final output and the designer’s logbook will be presented as part of the Earthrise 26 exhibition and showcased during international design events.