Material Bank. Matters Make Sense

As part of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, the ABC Department presents Material Bank. Matters Make Sense, an installation curated by Stefano Capolongo and Ingrid Maria Paoletti that explores the role of sensory perception as a primary form of human intelligence. The exhibition invites visitors to interact with a variety of materials, from organic to inorganic: from banana leaves to graphene mixed with cement.

This approach to contemporary materiality is at the heart of the Politecnico di Milano's commitment to addressing global challenges such as climate change and rapid urbanization through both technical and humanistic approaches.

The exhibition aligns with the theme of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, IntelliGens, and highlights how materiality can become a fertile bridge between natural and artificial intelligence, allowing architects and designers to adopt innovative materials in an increasingly conscious way. IntelliGens explores the many forms of intelligence—human, non-human, collective, and artificial—and invites us to rethink design processes in light of an ongoing dialogue between emerging technologies, ecological awareness, and cultural imagination. In this context, materiality becomes not only a technical support but also a vehicle for knowledge, capable of connecting perceptions, data, and design choices.

The installation presents a space with a dual function. On the one hand, it houses a selection of material systems identified through an open call dedicated to the most advanced applications in the field of architecture and design. On the other, it takes the form of a unicursal labyrinth that encourages exploration and discovery, inspired by Aby Warburg's law of good neighborliness: an exhibition principle that brings different elements into relation with each other so that they can dialogue and generate new associations.

Within this itinerary, visitors move freely between different material systems, guided by curiosity, sensory engagement, and an experience that invites them to understand matter not as a simple resource, but as a complex organism. In this way, the installation fits perfectly into the debate proposed by the Biennale, offering a concrete reflection on the role of matter in the future ecologies of design.

Key elements of the exhibition include a periodic table of materials, mock-ups for multisensory exploration, and a central core for an immersive experience, as well as a concluding look at materials that do not yet exist, generated by artificial intelligence.

The installation encourages critical reflection on materiality as an active part in shaping our material and environmental culture, fostering a sense of connection, awareness, and belonging, inviting visitors to connect the traditions of the past with the innovations of the future.

In an age where matter is increasingly becoming dematerialized and digitized, Material Bank reminds us that touching, smelling, listening to, and observing matter is a way to reconnect with the world — and with ourselves. And that people's well-being also depends on it: innovative materials and sensors can be used to take care of people.