Artribune Podcast: Roberto Sessa and Barbara Mazzolai on Plants, Robotics, and Storytelling

The Artribune podcast 'Contemporaneamente', curated by Mariantonietta Firmani, features an interview with Roberto Sessa and Barbara Mazzolai. Mazzolai, Director of Bioinspired Soft Robotics at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), discusses plant-inspired robotics and her projects Plantoide, GrowBot, and I-SEED. She holds a biology degree from the University of Pisa (1995), a PhD in Microsystems Engineering from Tor Vergata University of Rome (2011), and has authored over 270 scientific articles. Sessa, founder and CEO of Picomedia S.r.l., talks about his career in TV and film production, including hits like 'Casa Vianello', 'X Factor', 'Un Posto al Sole', 'Mare Fuori', and films such as 'Venuto al Mondo' (2011) with Penelope Cruz. The conversation explores the intersection of plant biology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and narrative, emphasizing the need for substantial renaturalization projects. Mazzolai received the ERC Consolidator Grant 2020 for 'I-Wood' and the Fondazione Carla Fendi Prize 2019. Sessa has produced 66 TV productions and 10 films since 1996.