Genoa's 'Fuori dal Comune' Turns Former Workshop into Art and Design Gallery

During Genoa's Design Week, the Comune di Genova transformed a former workshop at Via San Bernardo 22R in the historic caruggi into a gallery for contemporary art, circular design, and digital fabrication. The exhibition, part of the broader 'Fuori dal Comune' project, showcased prototypes made from construction waste and material experiments, demonstrating how discarded items can gain new aesthetic value. This initiative is a pilot for the future use of public buildings, emphasizing sustainability and creative education. The project involved months of public meetings and idea collection, gathering nearly sixty proposals from associations, artists, and citizens. The two buildings involved have distinct vocations: Via San Bernardo focuses on sustainability and creativity, while Vico Vegetti is oriented towards neighborhood welfare. The method is expanding to other sites, including the ex-Ruderi di Santa Sabina, planned as a 'vertical piazza' for climbing, and Palazzo Rebuffo Serra, which will strengthen Via del Campo's creative industry district. The project's name, 'Fuori dal Comune', reflects an administration that leaves its offices to engage with the city, positioning art and design as integral to urban regeneration rather than mere decoration.