Sicily
1989 - 09
Turin
2009 - 15
London
2015 - present
Through narratives, I propose futures built on synergies, interactions fostered by storytelling, empathy through strong aesthetics.
Born and raised in Sicily, I’ve 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 my creative sensibility.
With my designs I try to investigate and envision 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, I believe 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.
I try to materialise the outcome of my research into something that is not purely functional, that has a hidden, latent purpose with a leverage on instinctive feelings, active at a second intellectual level of the user’s consciousness.
Cultural and contextual awareness is what I try to build before and after any design exercise.
My approach to design is holistic, and emerges from a background that combines a range of disciplines, from energy engineering to product design. My work and training gravitate towards the necessity to find a compromise and a fluid dialogue between knowledge, humanity and the environment.
Born and raised in Sicily, I’ve 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 my creative sensibility.
With my designs I try to investigate and envision 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, I believe 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.
I try to materialise the outcome of my research into something that is not purely functional, that has a hidden, latent purpose with a leverage on instinctive feelings, active at a second intellectual level of the user’s consciousness.
Cultural and contextual awareness is what I try to build before and after any design exercise.
My approach to design is holistic, and emerges from a background that combines a range of disciplines, from energy engineering to product design. My work and training gravitate towards the necessity to find a compromise and a fluid dialogue between knowledge, humanity and the environment.
I consider myself a multipotential creative.My design language aims to generate visceral behavioural and ethical reactions.
EXHIBITIONS
(Check the Exhibitions Page HERE)
• 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
(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 - ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE - FINALIST (Resoults announced in April 2020)
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
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
https://ww w.designinsiderlive.com/hosting-life-by-jim-bid
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
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
MATERIAL LIBRARIES
2020 - EDGE - 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 - 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.
ACADEMIC WORK
2020 - BA Tutor. University of Brighton, School of Architecture and Design, BA Product Design.
2019 - Superorganicity. Ecobiont; how design can convince humans to join the biosphere in a superorganism. (PhD proposal)
2018 - A Criminal Trinity. A study of criminal objects, criminal people, criminal circumstances.
2015 - Creative Creators. Design democratization and design responsibilities in the age of digital fabrication.
CONTACTS
martina.taranto@network.rca.ac.uk
+44 (0) 7 93 998 3316
Instagram: @martina.taranto