iris ceramica group and alchimia team up for smart surfaces

CERAMIC SURFACES TURN INTO SMART INTERFACES

Iris Ceramica Group, global leader in high-end ceramic surfaces, and Alchimia, the luxury tech line by VBH, present a groundbreaking partnership unveiled during Milan Design Week 2025. Their joint solution fully integrates audio–video systems within natural ceramics, making technology disappear behind continuous surfaces. The result creates immersive interiors that quietly ‘come alive’ when needed, designed for refined architectural settings including private homes, yachts and exclusive commercial spaces. Visitors at the ICG Gallery experienced a preview of this innovation through a multi-sensory installation titled ‘Metamorphosis.’

Iris Ceramica Group and Alchimia reveal surfaces with audio-video systems | all images courtesy of Iris Ceramica Group

IRIS CERAMICA GROUP AND ALCHIMIA PARTNER TO REDEFINE SURFACES

Both companies share a vision of turning surfaces from static elements into active participants in interior design. Alchimia’s expertise in seamlessly embedded technology aligns with Iris Ceramica Group’s ongoing mission to reengineer ceramics for the better. Together, they created a solution where screens, speakers and devices are entirely concealed beneath natural ceramic panels, preserving aesthetic refinement while introducing sophisticated functionality. The surfaces discreetly transform on command, bridging visual appeal and utility without compromising material integrity. This partnership builds on Iris Ceramica Group’s pioneering work in eco-active ceramics, smart surfaces and backlit materials, further pushing the boundaries of how architectural finishes can perform.

surfaces quietly transform to display embedded screens and speakers on command

TECHNOLOGY DISAPPEARS AS SPACES COME TO LIFE

During Milan Design Week 2025, Iris Ceramica Group interpreted Fuorisalone’s theme ‘Connected Worlds’ through the immersive installation ‘Metamorphosis’ at the ICG Gallery. The presentation dissolved the boundaries between reality and illusion with sound, lights, interactive videos and digital canvases, amplifying the experience of the integrated surfaces. At the heart of the exhibition, the Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group solution demonstrated how ceramic finishes can conceal screens, speakers and interactive devices — appearing and disappearing seamlessly.

The installation featured five digital canvases by international artist Lorenza Liguori, unveiled daily throughout the week. These works reflected alchemical themes such as transformation, balance and energy. Imagery shifted from the ‘Golden Stone,’ evoking the ultimate search for metamorphosis and hidden knowledge, to the ‘Silver Moon,’ a meditation on the cosmic union of sun and moon, spirit and matter. The ‘Tree of Life’ offered a symbolic journey of ascension, linking earth to sky, while ‘Liquid Soul’ explored water’s adaptive and reflective nature as a metaphor for continual rebirth. Finally, ‘Crystal Energy’ celebrated crystals as silent catalysts of change, mirroring how the ceramic surfaces themselves redefined their surroundings. The cover image of a butterfly captured the concept of metamorphosis, expressing the generative process and the evolving both beauty and identity of ceramic materials.

the collaboration between Iris Ceramica Group and Alchimia redefines the potential of architectural surfaces