Neri&Hu reinterpret Carlo Scarpa at MAXXI with Alcantara installation

The MAXXI museum in Rome presents "Traversing Thresholds," an installation by Shanghai-based interdisciplinary architecture studio Neri&Hu, on view until February 6, 2022. Curated by Domitilla Dardi, the project is part of the Studio Visit format, which since 2018 has paired contemporary designers with masters from the MAXXI Architecture collection, using Alcantara as the primary expressive material. Neri&Hu—founded in 2004 by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu—chose to engage with the work of Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), focusing on the concept of the threshold as a physical and temporal mediation between contrasting spaces. The installation reinterprets Scarpa's key motifs: the 45-degree cut, the dialogue between full and empty, and creative material juxtapositions, while emphasizing his interior design dimension and homage to Japan. For the first time, Alcantara is used as a "construction material"—as bricks, door components, steps, or cladding—exploiting its high tactility. The collaboration continues a decade-long partnership between MAXXI and Alcantara, which began in 2011 with 50 designers and studios experimenting with the material. Previous Studio Visit participants include Nanda Vigo, Formafantasma, and Konstantin Grcic, whose works are now part of the permanent collection.