From waste to wonder

Aylin Öney Tan

Can a material that is thought to have served its original purpose become the starting point for a new work of art? Can an object regarded as waste regain value and become part of an aesthetic narrative? “Residui: From Waste to Wonder” is an exhibition that explores the creative potential of materials that are often overlooked in everyday life. The original title of the exhibition in Italian is “Residui: Dall’Informe alla Forma,” and it recently opened in Ankara at CerModern on Oct. 16, organized by the Italian Embassy in Türkiye as part of the IDEHA26 program. The exhibition, which is being presented to the public for the first time worldwide in Ankara, highlights the creative potential of agricultural and food waste through art and design.

Agricultural and food waste are addressed in the exhibition not merely as an environmental problem, but as resources that can be reevaluated, transformed and imbued with aesthetic value. Recycling food waste has long been on the agenda, and the aim of the exhibition is to offer viewers an approach that invites us to rethink our production and consumption habits, while also offering a fresh perspective on the relationship among sustainability, art and design.

Organized with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the exhibition aims to reevaluate agricultural and food waste through art and design, and to draw attention to the concept of the circular economy. Curated by Valentina Croci alongside Patrizia Catalano and Martina Barberis Casagrande from HoperAperta, and designed by Studio Gisto and Nolostand, the exhibition features nine works of art and design, a specially curated exhibition route and a materials library. In line with the Ministry’s commitment to promoting sustainability — both in content and implementation — the exhibition was designed according to the principle of efficient resource use. The installation itself is an integral part of this approach, designed to be reconfigured as a modular exhibition system before returning to its intended cycle of use.

Agricultural and food waste 

Italy is a leading country when it comes to food. Italian food is always a crowd-pleaser, and any food product that bears an Italian name tag sells worldwide even if not produced in Italy. Italy has succeeded in becoming a trusted brand reference due to its commitment to producing the best products and enjoying the best taste, but also being serious about design. The “Residui” exhibition presents Italian design as a language capable of anticipating and addressing contemporary challenges. It focuses on innovative materials and processes, stimulating reflection on the value of research, experimentation and sustainable creativity as essential elements throughout the design and production process. Agricultural waste is a big problem in Türkiye, and food waste is a global problem for which countries are seeking solutions. Our own First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, has long been promoting the concept of the No Waste Kitchen and creating awareness around preventing food waste. However, it is not always easy to prevent waste. In household kitchens, we can try to minimize waste with thoughtful cooking and home economy planning, but the agri-food industry is on another scale. This is where design steps in.

‘Materioteca’

At the heart of the project is a “Materioteca,” which stands for a “Materials Library,” curated by Valentina Croci, containing surprising shapes, colors and textures — the sometimes-unpredictable result of transforming waste from various sectors of the agri-food industry. The Materioteca immediately communicates the design potential of these new materials. The selection includes innovative materials obtained from agricultural and agro-industrial waste, such as grape pomace, citrus peels, rice husks, coffee grounds, vegetable fibers and mycelium cultivated from agricultural by-products. Transformed through processes similar to those used in the wood-furniture sector, these materials find application in construction and design, representing one of the most promising developments in the Italian circular economy and contributing to the creation of replicable and sustainable production models.

The exhibition explores the creative potential of Italian agri-food waste, portraying the metamorphosis of waste from a peripheral material to a productive resource, eventually becoming the medium and language for new forms of creative expression.

Libraries are ideal places to study and think. That is where new ideas emerge. This materials library, Materioteca, is presented as a study space and physical archive that clarifies the origin of the materials—in this case, the “waste”—and their potential for the transformation process, which is the “wonder.” This transformation cannot merely be described as recycling; it is much more. Waste transforms into art, and art is always inspirational. The library is the starting point; the rest is for designers and artists to explore and find ways to create something new for the future.