'a kind future' by michele de lucchi + AMDL circle spans over 1,200 sqm at the grand hornu

Futuro Gentile – A kind future by Michele De Lucchi & AMDL circle

Dedicated to the work of Michele De Lucchi and his multidisciplinary studio AMDL Circle, the exhibition ‘Futuro Gentile – A kind future’ opens its doors to the public on February 12, 2023. Spreading over 1,200 sqm at the CID in Grand Hornu, Belgium, the display is divided into two itineraries — the ‘Hayloft’ and the ‘Stables’ — that run complementarily from experimentation to design and from vision to architecture. Situated in the heart of the Province of Hainaut, Grand-Hornu is one of the UNESCO-recognised mining sites and the finest examples of neoclassical industrial heritage in Europe.

The ‘Hayloft’ hosts the experimental design objects of Produzione Privata (the design laboratory founded in 1990 by Michele De Lucchi and Sibylle Kicherer), while the ‘Stables’ includes visionary architectures of the ‘Earth Stations’, expressed through videos and models. Both spaces characterize the Circle’s visions ‘to construct the scenario within which contemporary humankind acts, seeking new ideas and endeavoring to understand what aspirations are possible, all within the context of utmost regard for the planet and other human beings.’

World Station, Education Stations, 2020. © Picture: Filippo Bolognese images

embracing a humanistic approach

‘We live in an era of fundamental change determined by scientific discoveries and technological progress, and yet despite our continuous evolution, the vision we have of the future is dark and bleak. The Circle believes that it is necessary to introduce a vision that places greater confidence in people’s abilities and which seeks to offer a dynamic response to the increasingly difficult challenges,’ shares the team at CID Grand Hornu (see more here) .

Moreover, a selection of pieces from the past and present celebrates the unique character of Produzione Privata (more here) in order to ‘cultivate experimentation and encourage craftsmanship’. Born through unexpected forms and a need for pure creativity, the works include furniture, objects, and lights.

For the last five years, AMDL CIRCLE and Michele De Lucchi (find more here) have focused on the ‘Earth Stations’ project, visionary buildings designed to promote the well-being of people and the health of the planet. Part of the ‘Stables’, the ‘Earth Stations’ dialogue with a selection of completed projects ‘in a dynamic narrative of videos and models, generating a truly sensual experience and revealing the fundamentals of the Circle’s architecture’.

Thorough attention is given to the ‘Satellite Stations’, which is the latest research of the Circle dedicated to ‘naturalizing’ architecture. This project consists of small think tanks, greenhouses, stages, and wooden pavilions that over time return to humus. ‘The research explores the relationship between the built environment and the natural world, and emphasizes the importance of creating ‘fertile’ architectures that can nourish the soil: wooden structures that transform over time and return to the earth. The beauty and significance of these fertile architectures develop through their own evolution.’

‘For the first time, this exhibition presents a continuous and connected reading of the design approach of De Lucchi and his Circle: today as always, imagining architectures and objects is not a passive activity but one that involves taking an active approach to a constantly changing reality, stimulating people to respond to evolution.’

Crown Station – Earth Stations Interactors – 2018 © Picture: Filippo Bolognese images