The work Whatever Brings You Happiness is a diesel-free ATB Man Lion's City bus transformed into a mobile installation. The vehicle a hot shade of pink all over, a colour much loved by designer Peter Fink, who in 2014 transformed Bergamo's Piazza Vecchia with this shade of fuchsia for the Maestri del Paesaggio event. The two sides of the bus are decorated with the geometric motifs that are also seen on the Christmas Design logo. The bus, which will continue to function in this artistic version, will move around the streets of Bergamo in service on all the different urban lines by rotation. It will bring many smiles of joy to passers-by, and not only for its vibrant colours: the rear of the bus ironically shows the infectious smile of Fink himself as he pays homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente wearing the iconic red wig of the Japanese artist. We asked the artist to tell us what his work represents: "Whatever brings you happiness", he replied, alluding to the title of the installation. Everyone, therefore, will find the answer within themselves.

Designer

Whatever brings you happiness

The designer, which is also the commissioning company, is Dugongo.

This is a video installation projected inside The Gate. The project talks about the importance of coexistence between cultures through a variety of graphic elements, each of which represents the different facets of cultures, religions and experiences that coexist peacefully in the same space. These elements are presented in different and repeated ways to highlight the mutability of reality, bearing in mind that all diversities are subject to the same dynamics of harmonious coexistence. The repetition highlights how diversity is subject to the same dynamics of harmonious coexistence and how, together, they can enhance each other and give rise to mutual enrichment.

Sconfinati Passaggi explores the theme of peaceful coexistence between different cultures and values. It is a futuristic vision, a utopia that can, hopefully, become reality. In this context, Artificial Intelligence is seen as a representative force of this concept. Despite the ongoing ethical debate around the world regarding AI, the intention is to turn this controversy into a manifestation of creativity. AI will be used as a means to connect, understand and break down cultural barriers. Hopefully, the project can help shape a future in which diversity is celebrated and coexistence between cultures becomes a concrete reality.

In what way does Sconfinati Passaggi pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

Some of the animations in the video installation recall the work of the Japanese artist.

What is message that the artwork conveys? Sconfinati Passaggi emphasises the need to respect differences, without any form of fusion or homologation. We are all inhabitants of the same planet, destined to share the same habitat and live together in harmony.

How did the inspiration come about? The unfortunate historical moment of divisions we are living through calls for a reminder of the values ​​of peaceful coexistence.

How do Sconfinati Passaggi and The Gate dialogue with each other? The Gate represents a passageway, a gap between different realities, a wormhole which also symbolizes a dimensional passageway between different cultures.

Sconfinati Passaggi (‘Endless passageways’) is a video installation that conveys the message of coexistence between different cultures within a common space, emphasising the need to respect differences, without any form of fusion or homologation. We are all inhabitants of the same planet, destined to share and live together in harmony. Sconfinati Passaggi represents a passageway, a space between reality and cultures. The variety of graphic elements represents the different facets of humanity with its cultures that coexist peacefully. These elements are presented in different and repeated ways to highlight the mutability of reality, bearing in mind that all diversities are subject to the same dynamics of harmonious coexistence. For the Dugongo designers, authors of the video installation, Artificial Intelligence can convey the representative strength of this concept and in this case it is a means to connect people and break down cultural barriers.

Sconfinati Passaggi, a video installation commissioned and conceived by Dugongo, is projected at The Gate, in Piazza Matteotti.

Sconfinati Passaggi - Endless passageways

Artists

This artwork explores the symbolism of Saint Lucy's eyes through a metamorphosis expressed in three neon sculptures. The first sculpture depicts the plate the saint traditionally holds with her eyes resting on it. This reference is drawn from a 1570 work by a sculptor for the Milan Cathedral, where the plate resembles a mask. The first neon sculpture in The Metamorphosis of Saint Lucy, standing upright, is a double-sided neon in three colors: the face outline in white, eyelids in pink, and pupils in blue. Measuring 185 cm high and 150 cm wide, it represents the first phase of transformation. The second sculpture references a scene from the Griffoni Polyptych (1472) by Francesco del Cossa and Ercole de Roberti, in which Saint Lucy holds her eyes transformed into budding flowers emerging from a stem. At 175 cm in height and 160 cm wide, this central totemic piece signifies the true metamorphosis. The third sculpture features a line from a popular prayer to Saint Lucy, “Preserve the light of my eyes,” serving as both invocation and reminder.

Artist

The Metamorphosis of Saint Lucy

Fiammetta is the enlarged reproduction, on a monumental scale, of a candle. This highly symbolic object takes on astonishing proportions, measuring 300 (in height) x 210 x 100cm. The cylinder and the candle light have been created by assembling lighting bodies from both industrial and domestic use, such as safety lamps, signalling lamps, flashing lights and neon tubes, mirrored and amplified by a body of water installed in the outdoor area. Water functions as an environmental device that defines the area of action of the artwork, inserted within the existing place.


Reflecting on the meaning of holidays and giving, Santo Tolone wished to trigger a reciprocal relationship between the work and the public. “It seemed natural to me to use real-life lighting bodies – such as flashing lights, stroboscopic lights, neon – to create the work,” declares the artist. “Fiammetta is the representation of a candle, a highly symbolic subject very much present in the festive season. The luminous bodies used to create the work each retain their original behaviour, creating a multiplicity of impulses, colours and rhythms. A collage of luminous bodies from different moments and situations tells of an elsewhere, which can only be imagined... the slow opening of a gate, the movement of a tractor across a field... which presents itself to the mind of the passer-by, like a reverberation in the memory. It propagates itself through experiencing the artwork, going beyond the transitory nature of the installation.”


What links La Pasqualina’s mission to Santo Tolone’s work?

“In the process of designing the opera, I think I was influenced by a method that I saw firsthand behind the scenes of the production of La Pasqualina,” says Tolone. “The neatness in the use and valorisation of simple but quality raw materials. The skilful combination of ingredients without distorting them, one's own idea of ​​tradition. A mix that together with the passion and history of the family defines its identity."


How does the work pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

In Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente and in Fiammetta the water fills to the brim the container, transforming the surface into a mirror that modifies the perception and experience of the place. Like a mysterious spell, water doubles reality by mirroring it, while remaining hidden. Since times immemorial, this has been mystery and a gift of which water has been guardian... In water lies also the unsolved enigma from which the adventure of life began, from our hominid ancestors, all the way to the man who raised his eyes to the sky, became biped for the anxiety to look at it, to look towards the light. In every pond, in every urban fountain, in every puddle after the rain, the enchantment and mystery continue, as in the myth of Narcissus. Let’s keep this enchantment.


What is the message that the company and designer wish to convey through this installation?

To share and pass on a message of greeting through art.


“The idea was born at night while I was in bed, looking at the hypnotic flashing of the light of a nearby burglar alarm,” says Santo Tolone.


How does Fiammetta dialogue with Piazza Matteotti?

The has been projected to fit discreetly into the urban context of Piazza Matteotti, for the large terrace of the La Pasqualina pastry shop, between the monument to Lorenzo Mascheroni and Fratelli Calvi. This particular public space plus the celebration of the Christmas holidays brought about a reflection on an artwork accessible to everyone, an immediate, but also playful work of art. It is aimed at fitting into the existing space to result in a unified, harmonious air of completeness and cohesion.

Fiammetta is the enlarged reproduction, on a monumental scale, of a candle. This highly symbolic object takes on astonishing proportions, measuring 300 (in height) x 210 x 100cm. The cylinder and the candle light have been created by assembling lighting bodies from both industrial and domestic use, such as safety lamps, signalling lamps, flashing lights and neon tubes, mirrored and amplified by a body of water installed in the outdoor area. Water functions as an environmental device that defines the area of action of the artwork, inserted within the existing place.

The work, created for Christmas Design 2023 by Santo Tolone through the contribution of La Pasqualina, is exhibited in Piazza Matteotti, in Bergamo Bassa.

Technical Partner

Fiammetta

Luca Schieppati and Mutti Marmi

According to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology, only 48% of the world's surface in 2020 was classified as an area with low human impact. This means that over half of the Earth's surface is affected by human activity. "Unfold the Earth, Unfold Your Heart" serves as a poignant reminder of how much we have eroded the planet and highlights the parts of the world that remain untouched by human activities—areas we must nurture and protect.
The message is clear: we need to halt urban sprawl, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and restore forests. We must reverse the trend to free the Earth from pollution and allow it to breathe once more. If the planet breathes, we all breathe.
Unfold the earth, unfold your heart is represented by a sphere made of reinforced concrete and recycled marble, with a diameter of 170 cm. The reinforced concrete symbolizes the "dark" side of the Earth—unnatural, marked by urbanization and pollution caused by irresponsible human activity. This is the part of the planet that needs recovery.
Visually, the concrete section feels jarring and unpleasant, evoking in the observer a desire to break this outer shell to reveal the mosaic of smooth, colorful, and harmonious marble beneath. This act symbolizes rediscovering the beauty and purity of the unspoiled environment.

Realizers

UNFOLD THE EARTH, UNFOLD YOUR HEART

You for Christmas is a 360-degree inclusive work that projects the viewer into the scene of the Adoration of the Child (1524), a panel painted by Bernardino Luini (1485-1532) and preserved at the Accademia Carrara. The installation is a complete celebration of Christmas, of birth and of the value of family.

What is the message of You for Christmas? 

On the one hand, You for Christmas proposes a traditional image of the Nativity, on the other, it spreads a modern message of inclusion, because the public that rapports with the work also becomes a protagonist in the scene, in an expanded Nativity.  The installation was created expressly to dialogue with those who observe it, to bring the observer into the sacred family, emphasising the sacredness of the human being. “You are our Christmas and you are part of Christmas,” this is the message of inclusion conveyed by the artist and by Fra.Mar. Jesus is born in the centre of an important piazza in Bergamo and asks us to reflect on the Nativity not only as believers but also as citizens.

How does the installation pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente? 

The reproduction of Bernardino Luini’s work, used with permission from the Fondazione Accademia Carrara di Bergamo, will be fixed to a large mirror, which will reflect the lights of the square, creating an incredible luminous dynamism. Elements of the artwork recall the Japanese artist's infinite polka dots, in which spectators will be able to recognize themselves.

The new Fra.Mar headquarters in Pedrengo is unique in concept and design, thanks to the involvement and interventions of the artist Steven Cavagna, who created a series of works capable of interpreting the messages and the story of a historic family business.

The choice to undertake this artistic journey, in December 2022, was decisive for Fra.Mar, which loves to tell its story to visitors every day through works of identity and narratives, full of words, lights, materials and colours. In the Christmas Piazza, Fra.Mar wishes to continue bringing together these elements: a religious message, art and enterprise.

Why does Fra.Mar want to present this work? 

Fra.Mar is a company that has over 1,000 employees from 52 countries; it was the first company in Italy to obtain a Gender Equality certification, with 86% female employment. The constant commitment to building an inclusive and respectful work environment was certainly a source of inspiration to imagine a work that celebrated Christmas, Bergamo and Fra.Mar, which bases its principles in Christian culture. The inspiration comes from the historical roots of Fra.Mar, which has always been committed to enhancing the family and which continues its work based precisely on these principles in its relations with all its players: employees, suppliers, territory and institutions.

How does You for Christmas dialogue with Largo Rezzara?

The work brings into the Piazza that which is found inside the Church. At Christmas the family comes out of the Church, and into contact with everyone. Furthermore, the mirror reflects the landscape and the protagonists of the square, thus fitting into the context and accentuating all its various facets.

You for Christmas is an interactive work that receives the viewer into the scene of the Adoration of the Child (1524), in a reproduction of the panel painted by Bernardino Luini (1485-1532) and preserved at the Accademia Carrara. On the one hand, You for Christmas proposes a traditional image of the Nativity, on the other, it spreads a modern message of inclusion, because the public that rapports with the work also becomes a protagonist in the scene, in an expanded Nativity. The Nativity scene placed on a large mirror, will reflect the lights of the Piazza, creating an incredible luminous dynamism.

You for Christmas, conceived by Steven Cavagna for Christmas Design 2023, has been created thanks to the contribution of Fra.Mar and will be exhibited in Largo Rezzara in Bergamo.

You for Christmas

Researcher and Designer

Six luminous columns of warm light reinterpret the architecture of the facade’s two propylaea in a minimalistic style. By repeating a common architectural motif, the installation opens a historical dialogue between the two structures. A golden QR code on the illuminated hotel facade invites visitors to access a tale about its history.

The light installation enhances the exterior facade with vertical strings of warm white lights placed between the windows, creating an orderly and harmonious effect. These carefully selected warm tones emphasize the facade’s elegance without being excessive or intrusive. The aim is to offer a simple yet evocative visual experience in harmony with the festive season.

The light design acts as a temporal gateway, offering a glimpse into a piece of the city’s history. The luminous design, paired with a QR code, provides access to both a historical and imaginative narrative. The hotel’s history and the emblematic golden hatserve as central elements of the story.

Situ Eventi

Falling Lights

AMDL CIRCLE - Arch. Angelo Micheli and Arch. Banafsheh Razavi

 The artwork, made of wooden planks, is divided into linear sections of varying lengths and heights, placed in the form of an open circle, in the centre of which is a wooden container which holds a brazier for the fire. The linear sections are long seats where one can rest; the lateral jointures are painted in different hues. The wooden container for the brazier has within a second container, of iron colored aqua blue.

An internal journey, but also a path of growth. The installation represents a series of embankments, along which humanity can reach the ideal place in which to sit and admire the universe, observing, unhindered, the depths of the sky. On reaching the pinnacle, man will be by himself and will understand that the future is his dialogue with the other living beings present on earth. The flame is the fulcrum of the meeting, everyone will sit around it and observe the lapilli forcefully released by its strength, and will see the sky coloured with smiles.

What links Studio BNC and Bergamo+ to AMDL CIRCLE? 

The passion for art is the meeting point and art is the means for designers to find other inspiration for projects in other fields.

How does this installation pay homage to Yayoi Kusama, Infinito Presente?

The evanescence of the flame that rises fearlessly towards the sky is a tribute to the work of Yayoi Kuzama.

What is the message that the installation aims to convey? 

The work must convey to human beings the awareness of the need to be close to each other, dialogue with themselves and the power of nature. The fire at the center is the soul of man that merges with the soul of nature, unleashing that beauty that is the universe of thought.

Humanity in its complexity is the inspiration, and the installation and is dedicated to this.

How does the installation interact with the chosen location, Via Mazzini?

For AMDL CIRCLE an artwork must be designed in such a way as to be installable anywhere, it must communicate with any place and be an instrument of surprise for the people who find themselves before it at any time.

Cielo Colorato, which means 'colourful sky,' is at the same time a dilemma and an invitation. Passers-by will find themselves before a series of embankments, along which humanity can reach the ideal place in which to sit and admire the universe, observing, unhindered, the depths of the sky. On reaching the pinnacle, man will be by himself and will understand that the future is his dialogue with the other living beings present on earth. The flame is the fulcrum of the meeting, everyone will sit around it and observe the lapilli forcefully released by its strength, and will see the sky coloured with smiles.

The artwork, made of wooden planks, is divided into linear sections of varying lengths and heights, placed in the form of an open circle, in the centre of which is a wooden container which holds a brazier for the fire. The linear sections are long seats where one can rest; the lateral jointures are painted in different hues. The wooden container for the brazier has within a second container, of iron colored aqua blue.

Cielo Colorato - Colorful Sky

Lucia Nusiner

The Christmas Forest is a space designed for families and children eager to meet Santa Claus. This area, dedicated to younger visitors, symbolizes tradition, joy, magic, hope, anticipation, enchanting lights, and nostalgic childhood memories cherished even by adults. Visitors walk on natural wood chips, creating a forest-like aroma and enhancing the immersive experience. The path is surrounded by tall grasses, and Santa’s cottage nestles in a grove of birch and fir trees, adorned with luminous reindeer figures crafted by Soqquadro’s designers.

Other magical elements include oversized spheres, large mushrooms, and intricately woven willow sculptures by Davide Gotti, alongside a towering red-and-gold Christmas tree sponsored by ATB. Encircled by a fence, the forest is depicted as an enchanting green haven—a magical space distinct from the outside world. It transforms Piazza Vittorio Veneto into a dreamlike forest, a fantastical setting that invites children to let their imagination roam. The Christmas Forest redefines the city’s everyday heart, making it a destination for wonder and fantasy.

Bosco di Natale

The installation is composed of a mirror of light, a circle of LED lighting 4 meters in diameter, which together create a bright and colourful universe, to be observed and in which, at the same time, to observe oneself. Thanks to the presence of a camera the spectator will be able, not only to view his own reflection in the LED mirror, but to initiate an interactive dialogue with the artwork.

It is a work by MiDi Motori Digitali that looks at the theme of mirrors and reflections. The reflection that the work presents is consciously conveyed by a technology that does not want to reproduce a precise image, but which, on the contrary, proposes a rougher, but no less faithful representation. The artwork connects the individual with himself, magnifying and

amplifying that which is before him, such as faces and figures, thus allowing the public to recognize themselves and accept as belonging to themselves even that which is not completely faithful to the original.

Every person who passes before or stops in front of the work will therefore be able

The artwork cannot exist without anyone dialoguing with it.It cannot exist if there are no people. The installation exists only when someone relates with it.

What does Bonaldi - Gruppo Eurocar Italia have in common with MiDi - Motori Digitali? 

One of the most significant points of the Bonaldi - Gruppo Eurocar Italia mission is to valorise human capital both within and outside the company. Inner Resonance conveys this concept perfectly, placing the individual at the centre of the artwork, giving him real value. In this setup commissioned by Bonaldi - Gruppo Eurocar Italia, the individual is the only one who has the power to activate the installation by standing before it and communicating with it.

How Inner Resonance pays homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente? 

The reknowned Japanese artist uses mirrors to place herself in front of the infinite, to admire it and to discover it, an infinity that seems neverending. An infinity which, for this reason, attracts us but sometimes instills fear in us. We choose to dialogue with the mirror by focusing on a reflected effect that can instead help us to understand our complexity in the multiple plurality of our reflected images, accepting ourselves and feeling represented. Just like Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Room, however, this artwork only happens if someone decides to establish a relationship with it.

What is the message that the installation is meant to convey? 

The intention is to bring the individual back to the centre of attention. Over the past few decades we have seen an explosion of technological innovations that have transformed the way we live, work and connect. Putting the human being back at the centre of the cultural debate means inviting greater emotional connection and a deeper understanding of the person needs and dreams. The work therefore proposes a reflection on the complexities of the human being, on the value of diversity, of the infinite stories and voices that exist in the world. This process is supported through technology, which here becomes a tool of discovery and reflection.

In recent years, MiDi Motori Digitali research has increasingly focused on the relationship between individuals and technologies, from a proactive perspective, considering technology as a means of growth for humanity. Light, with its immediacy and in its role of a universal language, has become the privileged medium for bringing the public closer to new media art. In Inner Resonance, MiDi tries to convey these two aspects, designing an artwork in

which the person is the absolute protagonist.

How does the artwork communicate with Piazza della Repubblica? 

Thanks to its location in the centre of the Piazza, a hub between Città Bassa and Città Alta, Inner Resonance communicates with the entire city in transit.

This impressive work of light in the centre of the Piazza highlights the faces and people of those who live in the city, experience it and explore it. Passers-by will be attracted, as if by a magnet, to this large mirror of light.

Who is this in front of me? Who am I and what is there other than me? Inner Resonance is an interactive light installation, an example of new media art. A mirror of light and a large circle of LED lights create a bright and colourful universe. Visitors find themselves before an artwork to observe and in which, simultaneously, to observe themselves. The presence of a camera allows the spectator not only to view his own reflection in the mirror, but to also initiate a dialogue with the installation and at the same time listen to his own inner resonance.

Inner Resonance

Designer and artist

This installation comprises three large sculptures with organic shapes in dialogue: luminous bodies with informal painting strokes.
The artwork is interactive, inviting visitors to touch and step inside it. The large modules—intersecting like futuristic skyscrapers—are inspired by the modern forms of Nordic design, yet detached from the ever-evolving dynamics of society. The result is an abstract forest of light, a symbolic space where events occur cyclically and consistently. It beckons the audience to immerse themselves in mystical landscapes and meditative spaces where time feels suspended, and matter becomes a vehicle for profound emotions.
In conceiving this piece, Massimo Castagna and Manuel Bonfanti achieved full synergy with Zenucchi Design Code's design thinking, emphasizing the experience of living the design. The inner light that visitors "ignite" within themselves as they enter the artwork, along with the light emanating from the sculpture itself, is seen as a transformative energy for shapes and symbols of Christmas. The evolving aesthetics of the piece—painted live during the event through various performances by artist Manuel Bonfanti—convey a positive message for Christmas. The novel form and light of In The Middle Of Now-Where, Metamorphosis engage in dialogue with a historic location in the city center, relating to both the Donizetti Theater and the surrounding vegetation.
Main Partners: Italian Floor Design, Barrisol.
Special Thanks: Dun-Que, Alghisi Stefano Impianti Elettrici, Carrara Matteo.

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOW-WHERE, METAMORPHOSIS

Italtrans S.p.A. + DOMUS ing&arch S.r.l. + COSPE S.r.l.

It is an immersive work that unites the lighting of the trees in the Piazza with the lights in the flowerbeds and invites the visitor himself to become an artist. There are also stylized light elements that are a reminder of the symbols of Christmas and welcome the visitor to the Piazza. The installation will therefore become a collective artwork without pre-established patterns, resulting from the participation of the visitors who will themselves take part in the creation.

It represents an invitation to immerse oneself in a magical world made of lights, which guides visitors towards the symbols of Christmas and makes them part and parcel of the magic of the place.

What do Italtrans S.p.A., COSPE S.r.l. and DOMUS ing&arch S.r.l. have in common? 

We have been linked for years by a relationship of collaboration and friendship based on mutual respect and understanding and we share an interest in contemporary art and in caring for the territory.

How does Magia! pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

The enormous quantity of lights used creates an embracing and at the same time an alienating atmosphere, inviting contemplation and introspective reflection, as happens with many works by the Japanese artist.

What is the message that this installation conveys? The installation aims to gift Bergamo and its denizens a space with a "magical" atmosphere, in this rediscovered part of Città Bassa.

The inspiration comes from the challenge of mixing the classic symbols of Christmas with technology and lighting. The discovery of Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente completes the circle.

How does the installation communicate with Piazza Dante? 

The installation has been designed specifically in relation to the Piazza, which greets visitors with an embrace.

Magia! ('Magic!) is an immersive artwork that unites the lighting of the trees in the Piazza with the lights in the flowerbeds, inviting the visitor himself to become the designer of the installation. Stylized luminous elements are reminders of the symbols of Christmas and call out to those nearing the Piazza. Magia! is a collective installation in continuous evolution; an installation without pre-established patterns, resulting from the presence of the visitor who will take part in the creation.

Magia! in Piazza Dante, was conceived for Christmas Design 2023 by Studio DOMUS thanks to the contribution of Italtrans Spa and COSPE Srl.

Magia - Magic

The ANIMORUM installation, meaning “of souls,” explores the theme of metamorphosis through seven sculptures that intertwine profound messages and reflections on life, identity, and human relationships. Each piece, with its unique title and form, contributes to a collective narrative emphasizing transformation and the bonds between souls. The works aim to inspire introspective reflections on the complexity of human relationships and the inevitable transformations we experience throughout our journey.

The Animorum installation highlights the connection and interconnection between living beings and the planet, emphasizing the importance of mutual care, acceptance, and the celebration of diversity. It is not just an exploration of literal metamorphosis but also an invitation to reflect on identity, love, beauty, and the wounds we all carry, underscoring the significance of sharing and mutual understanding in an ever-evolving world.

First Soul (Anima Prima) represents the feminine, depicted as a delicate wandering soul in lace. It symbolizes creation and a new beginning. Threads emanating from her ribcage form the masculine, reversing and transforming the narrative perspective of woman being created from man’s rib. These threads intertwine with a tree trunk, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living beings and the planet: life connects us all, a web uniting all souls.

Dancing Soul (Anima Danzante) portrays two dancers moving in harmony, reflecting mutual support and connection between people. This piece invites viewers to rediscover the importance of human touch, peace, compassion, and solidarity. It suggests the beauty of reciprocity and true relationships in a time marked by isolation and primarily virtual interactions. Essence is rediscovered through dance, physical contact, and freedom.

Passionate Soul (Anima Passionata) lies in a sensual pose, embodying attraction and passion. It represents contemplation and the power of love; beauty and desire are intrinsically tied to the inner transformations these emotions can spark.

Wild Soul (Anima Selvaggia), a human figure with animal horns, symbolizes the acceptance of diversity and the beauty of uniqueness. Its metamorphosis represents respect and celebration of being different—and therefore unique—emphasizing the importance of embracing what may seem unlike us but is part of the greater design of life.

Misunderstood Soul (Anima Incompresa) is compelled to hide due to its differences. This piece tells the story of those who feel their uniqueness is a threat or a source of shame.

Wounded Soul (Anima Ferita) represents a strong soul whose scars are an essential part of its existence. This contemporary reinterpretation invites reflection on the need to embrace and share one’s wounds rather than hiding them. Pain, while difficult, is an integral part of the human experience and personal growth. Scars often represent the most beautiful and profound aspects of ourselves.

Earthly Soul (Anima Terrestre) tells of the primordial power of nature, the fusion of nature and living beings. It points to the responsibility of caring for the Earth and all its inhabitants. We are part of an interconnected whole that must be protected and respected.

The Animorum installation stands out for its sustainable approach, using recycled materials in true Soqquadro style. The artists incorporated repurposed materials, natural elements, and unstable structures to convey a sense of movement and change. These materials not only support the artworks but also interact with them, creating a visual and conceptual dialogue that enriches the audience’s experience.

ANIMORUM

Christmas Pop is an interactive installation. On a raised square platform, vertical in coloured transparent plexiglass are installed, which can be traversed by entering the installation. The upper parts of some blades are straight while others are inclined, recalling the skylines of our Dolomites and of the city of Bergamo, but also of the logo of Christmas Design. The  lights positioned on the platform, directed towards these blades, creates plays of lights and colours that recall Christmas lights.

Christmas Pop wants to convey emotions with an incredible play of colours and lights, transmitting the magic of Christmas and the emotions it evokes.

What links the mission of Zenucchi Design Code to the designer Massimo Castagna?

For over 20 years, Massimo Castagna has been the Art Director of Zenucchi Design Code.

In what way does Christmas Pop pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

The installation is absolutely abstract, combining hallucination, utopia, illusion and reality. One can enter and go through it, becoming part of the work itself, generating moving, coloured shadows, visible to those who admire the installation from the outside and to those who are within it. Differing points of view for a fantastic landscape; an abstract and colourful  world.

What is the message that the company and the designer wish to convey? 

The abstract interpretation of a Christmas tree, through its play of light, evokes the emotions that a lighted Christmas tree does. The ‘tree’ here does not have a conventional shape but is represented by simple geometric shapes and lights, but nevertheless arouse the same emotions.

From the symbols of Christmas. The colours, the lights, the spheres, the geometrical shapes, are all free interpretations of the tree that represents Christmas for us; an unconventional Christmas tree.

How does Christmas Pop dialogue with Largo Gianandrea Gavazzeni? 

The installation is located near the Donizetti Theatre, in a position where people can

walk around it and even enter and pass right through it.

Christmas Pop is an interactive installation conceived as an unconventional Christmas tree, which projects lights and plays of coloured shadows on the architecture of the Donizetti Theatre and the ‘Sentierone’, in the heart of Downtown Bergamo. 

There is no explicit reference to real tree-shapes: the artwork consists of a transparent plexiglass structure that is a reminder of the peaks of the Dolomites, but also of the Bergamo Alta skyline. The work comes alive in the evening with a play of light. The main lights are directed towards the transparent "blades" which combine with the shadows of people as they move across, creating unusual luminous acrobatics all around.

Christmas Pop, designed for Christmas Design 2023 by Massimo Castagna and created with the contribution of Zenucchi Design Code, will be exhibited in Largo Gianandrea Gavazzeni, near the Donizetti Theatre, in Bergamo.

Christmas Pop

The artwork consists of a series of luminous elements arranged next to one another in a circular shape. The group of lights starts out in a monochrome. One single element is white and "rotates" along the circle, leaving a new color in its path. Gradually, this new color replaces the previous one, filling the entire circle. After completing one full rotation, the process continues, transforming the group into a new color, and so on, slowly but steadily. The colors bounce off onto the surrounding trees, symbolically suggesting nature’s renewal. The installation is mirrored in the fountain, amplifying the light’s reflection within the surrounding arboreal amphitheater. The circular form is symbolic of transformation and renewal. In a circle, every point is both a beginning and an end. Everything returns and renews itself in an endless cycle. The installation is in a constant state of dynamic evolution, enhancing the idea of metamorphosis. A continuous evolution of colors as an ongoing cycle of renewal.

FLOWING COLORS

Chiara Arrigoni and Martina Nodari, students of LABA, Libera Accademia Belle Arti of Brescia, coordinated by Professors Andrea Paroli and Nazareno Cerquaglia.

Commissioning company? A2A with RPP. Run Power Plants Srl “La nuova Luce” (Nocivelli Group).

The installation consists of seven triangles of different heights, arranged in a circle around a light column, on a radial platform. This platform, with a diameter of 6 metres, has been designed with a mirror coating to recall the rivers and lakes of the area and at the same time to allude to a total fusion with nature. The RGB LED lights create color harmonies and animations, in yellow, green and blue.

A soundtrack composed by cellist and composer Daniela Savoldi creates an even more engaging atmosphere.

It is a tribute to the natural landscapes of the Bergamo Brescia 2023. Capitale Italiana della Cultura.

What links the mission of A2A and Gruppo Nocivelli to the two chosen designers? 

Both companies deal with energy and the design and construction of LED lighting systems and have always shown attention to the environment and the valorization of the territory and its artistic heritage. The support for the realization of the project of a light installation conceived by two students of the LABA Academy was therefore natural.

In what way and how does Horama pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

Mirrors and lights are two fundamental elements both in Horama and in the works exhibited at Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente. Furthermore, both works pay homage to and remember the territory of their respective artists.

What is the message that the company and designer wish to convey with this installation?

It is important for all of us to raise citizens' awareness of the beauty of and the care for our territory.

The students of the lighting engineering course at the LABA Academy in Brescia were invited by their teachers to design an installation for Light is Life A2A Festival of Lights in small groups as part of the initiatives for Bergamo Brescia 2023. Capitale Italiana della Cultura. Horama, inspired by the beauty of the territory, was the project chosen by the artistic direction of the festival and has now been chosen to close the celebrations for the Capital of Culture in Bergamo as well, with this participation in Christmas Design 2023.

How does the installation interact with the location, Largo Belotti?

The installation be framed by the "Sentierone", characterizing the churchyard of Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano and dialoguing with its nineteenth-century façade. A positive relationship is thus created between the urban environment and the nature of the territory, an invitation to improve the quality of life of citizens and to promote increasingly sustainable choices.

The Greek term horama, in fact, refers to the view of a territory, a pleasant view, an immersive experience connected with the landscape and its beauty (our word panorama derives from it).


Horama consists of seven triangles of different heights placed around a circular base. Some of the parts are made of perforated sheet metal, which, arranged in a particular way, recreate a special light effect. The installation is made entirely of metal and visitors are invited to observe it from very close, so that each one can create their own intimate relationship with the work. The radial platform of the artwork is inscribed in a circle 6 meters in diameter. At every step, visitors will be able to see their own reflection along the path, brought about by a mirrored coating that recalls bodies of water, rivers and lakes, praising fusion with nature (but is also a tribute to the work of Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente).


Lighting is a fundamental element for Horama, with a strong impact even in the evening hours. The fulcrum of the installation is a central spot of RGB lights, animated by a dynamic intensity and color variations, between yellow, green and blue, tones of the natural landscapes of Bergamo and Brescia. The LED strips applied to the profiles of the work add a play of lights amplified by the reflective base. Thus Horama is nature, life, earth and water, but above all light. The soundtrack composed by cellist Daniela Savoldi further emphasises the atmosphere.


Horama, conceived by the students of the LABA Academy, Chiara Arrigoni and Martina Nodari, under the guidance of professors Andrea Paroli and Nazareno Cerquaglia, has been created thanks to the contribution of A2A and RPP S.r.l. (Nocivelli Group) and exhibited in Largo Bortolo Belotti.

THE HORAMA LIGHT INSTALLATION IS A TRIBUTE TO THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE, THE MOUNTAINS, THE HILLS, THE LAKES OF THE BERGAMO BRESCIA 2023 CAPITALE DELLA CULTURA

Horama

The trees in the square are illuminated by numerous lights, while the facade of the former Courthouse transforms into a massive screen through projection. The transformation of the square is achieved through the strategic use of light in its various forms, turning a natural and ordinary element into something extraordinary. 
During the day, the trees are part of a typical urban space, but at night, the lights transform them into a magical frame. The square becomes an attraction for the energy it exudes. This transformation also serves a functional purpose: the lights improve accessibility and safety, making the space welcoming to visitors in the evening hours.
The reflections of the lights on the different levels of the square, such as sidewalks and surrounding surfaces, add further depth and dimension to the space. The sensation of metamorphosis unfolds on multiple levels as day turns into evening: music begins to play, the imposing façade of the building becomes a massive screen, the trees light up, and the entire square takes on a new identity. This transition evokes growth and change, transforming the square and its elements into symbols of vitality and constant evolution. The pulsing or twinkling lights suggest a vital breath, an energy that animates the square and transforms its static perception into a living experience. The metamorphosis is also emotional: observers may feel transported to a fantastic environment where daily reality is suspended, and the urban space becomes a theater of dreams and imagination. The lighting installation in this square not only transforms its physical appearance but also induces a shift in the perception and experience of its visitors.

Dancing Lights

The artwork offers a unique and engaging experience, an immersive journey into Santa Claus’s Factory, combining contemporary art with the magic of the festive season. The design of this virtual place, modern and avant-garde, but at the same time familiar and welcoming, pays homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente, theme of Christmas Design 2023. The infinite repetition of polka dots and the vibrant plays of colour, typical of Kusama’s art, blend in with the Christmas atmosphere, creating a fascinating contrast between tradition and modernity. Looking out from the factory, visitors can admire Santa Claus’s house, also reinterpreted through the aesthetics of Kusama.


The Polar Gate is the realization of a universal dream. Which of us, as a child, didn’t want to visit the place where Santa Claus makes Christmas presents, where the magic of Christmas comes to life? Thanks to ADOK’s project, this dream becomes a tangible reality, allowing visitors to completely immerse themselves in a world of wonder and fantasy.


How does this installation pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

The artwork does this through the profound interaction between technology and art. Using a visor as a ‘gate’, the viewer is invited to enter a universe where the boundary between the real and the virtual becomes blurred. This approach reflects Kusama's concept of the ‘Infinite Present’, an idea that explores the continuous interaction between the individual and the surrounding universe. In the installation, the journey through Santa’s factory and his home in Lapland represents a never-ending, borderless experience, evoking the feelings of infinity and interconnection that are at the heart of Kusama’s work. In this way, homage is paid to the artist visually, but also conceptually, in an endless continuum between the self and others.

The Polar Gate demonstrates how technology can let us live out our deepest dreams and childhood fantasies. Virtual reality transports people into completely new spaces and worlds, offering an experience that surpasses everyday reality. The central message is the fusion of past and future, highlighting the importance of art and creativity in shaping our experiences.


Over the recent past, ADOK has been considering bringing something unique and special to the heart of the city during the Christmas season. This wish finally found its rightful space in Christmas Design. The inspiration came from the passion for Christmas and the curiosity to explore new frontiers in the field of immersive experiences. AI tools helped to optimize and refine this vision.


How does The Polar Gate dialogue with Piazzetta Santo Spirito, 5?

In a limited space in the heart of the historic center of Città Alta, The Polar Gate challenges our sensorial perceptions. Thanks to the immersive experience, the physical dimensions of the place are transformed into a bridge, a gate towards an infinite universe, transporting spectators into a modern and ‘pop’ Santa Claus factory. This contrast creates a unique synergy: the past and the future blend together in a visual and sensorial dialogue. The tradition of the location and the innovation of the installation complement each other, offering visitors an experience that is both familiar and revolutionary at the same time.

The Polar Gate is the realization of a universal dream. Which of us, as a child, didn’t want to visit the place where Santa Claus makes Christmas presents, where the magic of Christmas comes to life? Thanks to ADOK’s project, this dream becomes a tangible reality, allowing visitors to completely immerse themselves in a world of wonder and fantasy.

Through the use of virtual reality visors, participants are catapulted into an extraordinary environment: a modern Santa Claus factory near the Arctic Circle. The entire experience is designed to be more than just a visualization: the visor acts as a portal, a ‘gate’ that transports the viewer into this alternate reality.

The Polar Gate

The project draws inspiration from the dandelion, symbolizing its natural metamorphosis—from its transformation into a dandelion clock to the delicate dispersal of its seeds by the wind—as an allegory for the metamorphosis of dreams. Dreams, light and numerous like dandelion seeds, represent childhood aspirations that evolve into adult ambitions through time and experience. The spherical seed head of the dandelion is a beloved and familiar symbol. Its metamorphosis begins with the opening of the seeds, depicted in the installation through a generously sized structure featuring a radial arrangement of aluminum tubes; each seed is rendered as a "luminous flower." Warm, intermittent yellow lights give the installation a radiant and embracing appearance. Variations between cool and warm white flashes symbolize the transition and movement of the dandelion’s opening and closing, evoking the delicate nature of its fluffy seeds ready to be carried by the wind. Two silhouettes enhance the installation: an adult watering the flower and a child standing by the dandelion. These figures embody the transformation of human dreams: the carefree aspirations of a child and the cultivated dreams of an adult. The entire composition spans approximately 130 meters along Viale Vittorio Emanuele II. The gradual chromatic shift in the lights, from the warm yellow of the flower to the cool white of the dandelion clock, offers a visual and symbolic journey, narrating the evolution of dreams shaped by experience.

Commissioned by Onlight PF and designed by Nicola Colombo for Christmas Design 2024, the installation is displayed along Viale Vittorio Veneto, spanning 130 meters between the intersections with Via Zelasco Giovanni e Rodolfo and Via Brigata Lupi/Via Carlo Botta.

INTO THE WIND - FLIGHTS AND METAMORPHOSIS OF THE DANDELION 


Voi, Luce is an interactive light sculpture: a stylized Christmas tree that lights up when touched, because it ‘collects’ and retransmits the light of every person it. This design solution allows people to actively dialogue with the installation; their presence becomes essential for its functioning.

The iron and steel artwork is made up of four triangular structures that intertwine and support each other, creating a sculpture that recalls the slender shape of a Christmas fir tree, a light and balanced monument. Sixty metres of LED strips are fixed along its outlines, and these come alive with colours. 

Despite its grandeur, the visual impact of the installation is light, in perfect harmony with the space in which it is inserted. The artwork does not obstruct the view of the façade of the Accademia Carrara; on the contrary, it establishes a close link with the architecture of the art gallery, projecting itself into space as a sort of refraction of Tutta in voi la luce mia. 

The result is an animated prism which, touched by the light of the public, in its turn creates luminous effects in space.

The installation is inspired by the exhibition that closes the Accademia Carrara season, "Tutta in voi la luce mia".

VOI, LUCE

Riccardo Blumer

During the Christmas season and through the New Year, Piazza Vecchia, a symbol of Bergamo, is illuminated by a special light. At this time of year, the shadow cast by the buildings over the square is at its longest, and sunlight reaches its lowest point, coinciding with the winter solstice (December 21). Thanks to the daily movement of the sun around the Earth, the installation Extasis Solis, created with iron benches designed by Riccardo Blumer with Matteo Borghi and Adrian Freire and produced by Alias in 2008, will mark ten positions between sunlight and shadow from 11:45 AM to 2:00 PM on the days closest to the solstice, every 15 minutes. The benches, positioned sequentially according to the hourly progression, will mark the sunlit angle projected onto the square by the height difference between Palazzo della Ragione and the eastern buildings of the square. The 10 benches, exposed to light alternately on sunny days, form a giant sundial that traces the year’s most extreme sunlight projection on the square. Spectators can enjoy the show either by sitting on the benches or viewing from a vantage point south of the fountain.

EXTASIS SOLIS

Il laboratorio segreto (The secret laboratory)

What does Il Laboratorio Segreto look like? 

Il laboratorio segreto (the secret laboratory) is an artistic floor installation, designed to integrate and merge with the landscape of the place that hosts it, Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe. The work focuses on a particular form of optical illusion. The aim is to amaze those who enter the square with a pleasant surprise effect, offering visitors an interactive experience that adds to the Christmas atmosphere that will fill the streets of Città Alta. The painting presents a dreamlike and prospectively immersive vision of a leavened dessert factory, with the panettone as the undisputed protagonist. The masterful creation of an anamorphic painting creates an optical illusion that catapults the visitor onto the threshold of the factory, giving the spectator the chance to take a photograph of himself as a part of the artwork. 

What does Il Laboratorio Segreto represent? 

The concept of the work revolves around the idea of ​​celebrating the culinary tradition and the Christmas atmosphere of Bergamo through an anamorphic painting. The work depicts a dreamlike vision of a leavened dessert factory, with particular emphasis on the panettone as the protagonist. Natural ingredients, such as butter, flour, milk and eggs, are represented in detail, underlining the authenticity and importance of local products.

The key element is interactivity. Viewers are encouraged to physically enter the artwork to experience the anamorphic effect, which transforms the scene into a three-dimensional Christmas celebration. This active participation allows the public to live a one-of-a-kind artistic and sensorial experience, connecting with the Bergamo culinary tradition and completely immersing themselves in the Christmas atmosphere.

The work aims to convey the beauty, magic and authenticity of local products and culinary culture, combining visual art with Christmas tradition. It represents a fusion of reality and imagination, where observation turns into participation, creating an extraordinary experience for visitors.

What links the company’s mission to the chosen designer?

The artist and the company discovered a common mission in pictorial art and gastronomic craftsmanship. The company, with its artisan tradition and use of natural ingredients, inspired the artist to create a visual work that celebrates the authenticity of its products. Pictorial art, through an anamorphic painting, enhances both the gastronomic products and the artistic work. The work involves the public, combining observation with sensorial experience, creating a profound connection between tradition and artistic creativity.

To summarise, the artist found himself with the company's mission in a moment of shared inspiration. This same passion for culinary tradition struck the artist, who took it as an opportunity to combine the world of pictorial art with that of confectioner’s craftsmanship. Combining two aspects of our culture that often meet and confuse each other, Art and Craftsmanship.

In what way does the installation pay homage to Yayoi Kusama. Infinito Presente?

There are several aspects that link the two art forms, both of which use optical effects and perspectives, which are key elements. While Kusama is known for her immersive installations that exploit mirrors and reflections to create a sense of infinity and of immersion, anamorphic art uses particular perspectives to deceive the eye and create an illusion of three-dimensionality.

There are four aspects that undoubtedly link these two apparently very different worlds.

1. Illusion and Reality: Both Yayoi Kusama's art and anamorphic art are based on the idea of ​​creating visual illusions. In Kusama's works, mirrors and repetitions create the illusion of infinite spaces, while in anamorphic art, the illusion of three-dimensionality is created through perspective.

2. Audience Involvement: Both art forms actively engage the audience. In Kusama's installations, visitors often become part of the artwork itself through reflections, while in anamorphic art, visitors are invited to physically interact with the work to reveal the anamorphic effect.

3. Exploration of perception: Both Kusama and anamorphic art explore visual perception and subjective reality. Kusama's works challenge the perception of size and depth, while anamorphic art challenges the perception of shape and proportion.