Piero Lissoni Creates UN_Material Installation for Sanlorenzo at Interni Materiae 2026

Designer Piero Lissoni has created an installation titled UN_Material for Sanlorenzo at the 2026 Interni Materiae exhibition during Milan Design Week. The work explores themes of transparency and dematerialization, representing a conceptual departure from physical form. Lissoni describes the installation as focusing on non-materiality, using semi-transparent fabric to create 'slices of a boat' that appear as a light cloud during daytime and transform into ghostly forms at night. The installation draws inspiration from SHE, a yacht that reinterprets Italian nautical tradition in contemporary terms. This marks another chapter in Lissoni's ongoing collaboration with Sanlorenzo, which began in 2019 with 'From Shipyard to Courtyard' and has included projects addressing hydrogen, energy transition, and the 2025 'Wind Labyrinth' installation. The UN_Material installation transforms the 18th-century Courtyard of the University of Milan into what Lissoni calls a 'laboratory of perceptions,' continuing what has become a FuoriSalone ritual that merges sailing, architecture, and installation research. Lissoni notes that the courtyard's historical proportions and presence create a dialogue with his work, describing this year's engagement as a 'silent dialogue.' The designer emphasizes that Sanlorenzo grants him significant creative freedom for these annual installations, with each year presenting an opportunity to elevate the artistic challenge.