Sicily
1989 - 09
1989 - 09
2020 - 2022
Turin
2009 - 15
London
2015 - 2020
Milan
2022 - present
My design language aims to generate visceral behavioural and ethical reactions.
Through narratives, Martina proposes futures built on synergies, interactions fostered by storytelling, empathy through aesthetics.
Born and raised in Sicily, Martina has grown with and being influenced by the intense presence of natural, historical, folkloristic and mystical elements.
A primordial tacit culture, made of symbols, subtexts and unspoken emotions, permeated and shaped her creative sensibility.
First a student at IAAD- Istituto d’Arte Applicata e Design in Turin and then at the Royal College of Art in London.
Martina’s designs practice investigates and envisions a world built on tangible materiality and delicate symbolic messages.
Despite the tendency of civilization to structure and regulate, instinctual emotions, irrational impulses, entropic attitudes to chaos and wilderness shape the most sincere traits of our world.
As the daughter of a rural culture profoundly connected with the land, Martina believes human intelligence and sensibility have a crucial role to play in the generation of a superorganic natural world, with fundamental responsibilities to embrace in order to reach the greater ecological and ecosystemic balance.
Martina’s approach to design is holistic, and emerges from a background that combines a range of disciplines, from energy engineering to product design. Her work and training gravitates towards the necessity to find a compromise and a fluid dialogue between knowledge, humanity and the environment.
EXHIBITIONS
• DDW 2022 - Dutch Design Week 2022
(22 - 30 Oct 2022)
BioArt Laboratories Foundation
Oirschotsedijk 14-10, 5651 GC Eindhoven
• The Land of Venice
(7 May - 15 Aug 2022)
Mostre Diffuse di Arte Laguna Prize in Veneto
Villa Dei Cedri, Valdobbiadene
Exhibition curated by Associazione Culturale MoCA
• AlternateLifeForms by JCP Universe
(25 May - 12 Jun 2022)
Fuorisalone, Milan Design Week 2022
Via Hoepli, 8, Milano.
Exhibition curated by CNTRL ZAK
• NFUT - Non Fare Un Tavolo
(6 - 12 Jun 2022)
Fuorisalone, Milan Design Week 2022
Ex Algae, Via Francesco Ferrucci, 5, Milano.
Exhibition curated by MAGMA
• CLUSTER CRAFT ‘ Sky Surface Soil’
(6- 10 Oct 2021)
London Craft Week
OXO Tower Wharf, London.
• 2021 Arte Laguna Prize finalists exhibition *
(3 Oct - 21 Nov 2021)
Arsenale Nord, Venice.
The exhibition is curated by Igor Zanti and Matteo Galbiati.
• 2021 DONNE&DESIGN
(4 - 10 Sep 2021)
SUPERSTUDIO PIU’, Fuorisalone, Milano.
Exhibition curated by Silvana Annicchiarico in collaboration with Gisella Borioli.
• 2021 SoN - Society of Nature
(4 - 19 Jun 2021)
ONCURATING SPACE, Zurich.
Exhibition curated by Arianna Guidi in collaboration with Nomadic Shapes and Looking Forward London.
• 2021 ‘A Soft Sonnet is All the Strenght I Have’
(26 May - 9 Jun 2021)
MASSIMO SPACE, Milan. Installation Design.
• 2021 Lentē
(27 May - 16 Jul 2021)
GALLERIA SINOPIA/SINOPIA LANDSCAPE, Rome. Exhibition curated by Cloe Berni and Livia Ducoli.
• 2021( until 2023) - 3CODESIGN 3R: RIDURRE, RICICLARE, RIUTILIZZARE
Traveling exhibition curated by Silvana Annicchiarico and commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(27 May - 2 Jul 2021)
Chapel of the Istitute of Italian culture of Prague, Prague
(16 - 29 Sep 2021)
Doha Design District, Msheireb Downtown, Doha
(17 Oct - 5 Dec 2021)
Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Shenzhen
(22 May - 30 Jun 2022)
Tunisi, to be defined.
(25 - 31 Oct 2022)
Museum of Tripoli, Tripoli
(14 - 27 Nov 2022)
Universiity of architecture Berenice, Bengasi
• ECONOMIA - THE LIMITED EDITION
VIDEO EXHIBITION 2020
(5 Nov 2020 to present day, online event, Eindhoven)
- BALTAN LABORATORIES -
https://www.youtube.com/c/EconomiaFestival
• DUTCH DESIGN WEEK 2020
(17 - 25 Oct 2020, The Netherlands)
- ddw.nl -
https://ddw.nl/news/511/ddw-presents-2020-theme-the-new-intimacy
- Relativistic Objects included in the “Contemporary Icons” virtual tour
Curated by Dutch Design Fundation, endorsed by Design Milk
- Relativistic Objects included in the “Brave New Talents” virtual tour
Curated by Domus
- Viral Nature included in the “The New Intimacy” virtual tour
Curated by Dezeen
• DESIGN HELPS - PART OF DESIGNBLOK 20
(9 Sep - 11 Oct 2020)
- DESIGNBLOK -
Prague International Design Festival
Kampa Park,
U Sovových mlýnů,
118 00 Malá Strana
• THE LOST PLACE - VR EXHIBITION
(30 Jun 2020 on)
- WWW.MOVIMENTO.CLUB -
VR exhibition by movimento.club
a project by Artefatto Design Studio
• ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE 2020 - POSTPONED TO 2021 due to COVID-19 *
(21 Mar- 13 Apr 2020, Venice)
- ARSENALE DI VENEZIA -
Sestiere Castello
Campo della Tana 2169/F
30122, Venice
• DE BIJENKORF - THE FUTURE IS GREEN
(10 Feb - 02 Mar 2020, Amsterdam)
- DE BIJENKORF-
Dam 1
1012JS, Amsterdam
• LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2019
(14 - 22 Sep 2019, London)
- MINT -
RAW Exhibition
2 North Terrace
Alexander Square
SW3 2BA, London
- OPENCELL -
#Biodesign Here Now
Shepherds Bush
Old Laundry Yard
W12 8EZ, London
• Royal College of Art DEGREE SHOW 2019
(29 Jun – 7 Jul 2019, London)
- KENSINGTON CAMPUS -
Kensington Gore
South Kensington
SW7 2EU, London
• MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2019
(9 - 14 Apr 2019, Milan)
- VENTURAFUTURE -
BASE Milano (2 entrances)
Via Tortona 54, 20144, Milan, Italy
Via Bergognone 34, 20144, Milan, Italy
• LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2018
(15 - 23 Sep 2018, London)
- RADO starPRIZE UK 2018 -
Rado Exhibition @ designjunction
The Barge House
Oxo Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
SE1 9PH, London
- ONELESS FELLOWSHIP -
Brompton Design District
1st Floor, 3 Yeoman’s Row
SW3 2AL, London
• ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART : ‘The Future is_______’
(25 - 27 May 2018, London)
Design Products Y1 final exhibition
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore, SW7 2EU,
London, UK
Via Tortona 54, 20144, Milan, Italy
Via Bergognone 34, 20144, Milan, Italy
• LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2018
(15 - 23 Sep 2018, London)
- RADO starPRIZE UK 2018 -
Rado Exhibition @ designjunction
The Barge House
Oxo Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
SE1 9PH, London
- ONELESS FELLOWSHIP -
Brompton Design District
1st Floor, 3 Yeoman’s Row
SW3 2AL, London
• ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART : ‘The Future is_______’
(25 - 27 May 2018, London)
Design Products Y1 final exhibition
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore, SW7 2EU,
London, UK
• MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2018
(17 - 21 April 2018, Milan)
- BLEND-HOUSE -
Floristeria, 4th Floor
Via Giovanni Ventura, 15
20134 Milano MI, Italy
AWARDS
2020 - DEZEEN AWARD 2020 LONGLISTES - Installation Category with TogetherTwentyTwenty
2020 - ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE - FINALIST
2019 - VIADUCT MATERIAL FUND
2018 - RADO STAR PRIZE UK
2018-19 - BURBERRY DESIGN SCOLARSHIP
2017 - A’ DESIGN AWARD WINNER - SILVER for LA SMILZA
2014 - AURONIA CONTEST, Operae Torino, 1 st place
2012 - ENRICO CIRIO TALENT AWARD #1, 6th place
PUBLICATIONS
2021 - SKY SURFACE SOIL // CLUSTER CRAFT BOOK (printed edition).
2021 - CLUSTER CRAFT - JOURNAL
Martina Taranto & Fabrizia Fantini. Fertile materials that play host to life.
2021 - ART A PART OF CULT(URE)
LENTĒ, Paesaggi domestici. Galleria Sinopia.
2021 - EXIBART
Paesaggi, natura, materie e interior design alla Galleria Sinopia di Roma
2021 - ARREDATIVO
Lentē, paesaggi domestici: la mostra alla Galleria Sinopia
2021 - EXIBART
Dalla natura al design e ritorno: intervista a Cloe Berni e Martina Taranto
2021 - ELLE DECOR
L’agenda delle mostre della settimana tra musei e giardini
2021 - MINISTERO DEGLI AFFARI ESTERI E DELLA COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE
Praga: in mostra l’ecodesign italiano
2021 - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA PRAGA
EcoDesign: 3R Ridurre, Riciclare, Riutilizzare
2021 - AMBASCIATA D’ITALIA PRAGA
Mostra di EcoDesign: 3R Ridurre, Riciclare, Riutilizzare
2020 - DOMUS
Upcoming Designers, Printed Issue of December 2020
2020 - SIMPLE FLAIR
Un nuovo Movimento
2020 - AD ITALIA
Design sostenibile: idee per un futuro migliore
2020 - DOMUS
Martina Taranto, design has the right to oblivion
2020 - AD ITALIA
Ventura Projects: che cosa ci aspetta al Fuorisalone 2020
2020 - ROOM ON THE ROOF
Martina Taranto, ‘Together TwentyTwenty’
2020 - DESIGN INSIDER
Hosting Life
2019 - DIS-UP!
Objetos Relativistas
2019 - WE HEART
Top 20 A’ Design Award winners
2019 - STUDENT DESIGN
2019 - TASARLAYANLAR
2018 - DESIGN HUNTER
The Rado Star Prize
2018 - RADO
Rado winners 2018
2017 - WE HEART
A’ Deisgn Award and Competition 2017 winners
COLLABORATIONS
2022 -
2020 - EDGE - Material Library
Eco Design Growth Environment.
Online resource and physical studio space for eco-conscious end users.
Involved with the Viral Nature Mix.
2020 - FUTURE MATERIALS BANK - Material Library
By the Nature Research department at the Jan van Eyck Academie, in collaboration with the
MA Materials Futures at Central St Martins in London.
Involved with the Viral Nature Mix.
2020 - Room On The Roof at De Bijenkorf (Amsterdam) - ‘Together Twenty-Twenty’ (Window design)
2019 - Hypersuper + Store Project for Nike - ‘Inflatable (Chair) making Workshop’ ( Tutoring)
2015 - Fondazione Achille Castiglioni - ‘Creatori Creativi’ (Graduation Project)
2015 - Redivivus - ‘Gli specchi di Baudelaire’ Graduation Project
CONTACTS
martina.taranto@network.rca.ac.uk
+44 (0) 7 93 998 3316
Instagram: @martina.taranto