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FameLab Genoa 2025: the challenge among young science communicators returns

Posted on 30 April 202530 April 2025 by admin

On Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 May 2025, Genoa will host the local selection of FameLab, the international science communication competition aimed at young researchers.

The initiative seeks to highlight the communication skills of those working in research, challenging participants to present a scientific topic in just three minutes, in a clear, engaging, and accessible way for a non-specialist audience. The rules are simple yet strict: no multimedia presentations—only words, gestures, and small objects are allowed to support the talk. Once again this year, RAISE is contributing to the organization of the Genoa selection, playing an active role in the event’s implementation.

The 2025 Genoa edition will consist of two preliminary rounds dedicated to school audiences. The first will take place on Tuesday 6 May at 9:30 a.m. at the Blue Hall of the Genoa Aquarium, while the second will be held on Wednesday 7 May, also at 9:30 a.m., at the Auditorium of the Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum.

Candidates who pass these initial rounds will move on to the final selection, scheduled for Wednesday 7 May at 8:00 p.m. at Teatro LaClaque (Vico di San Donato).

The final evening, open to the public, will also feature a theatrical interlude with Maniman Teatro, a local theatre group that will perform improvisations inspired by suggestions and prompts from the audience. Attendance is free of charge, but booking is required at this link.

FameLab is a competition conceived by Cheltenham Festivals and brought to Italy in 2012 by Psiquadro, in collaboration with a network of over 100 national partners, including universities, public research institutions, and associations. The 2025 edition features eight local selections in the cities of Ancona, Bari, Camerino, Catania, Cosenza, Ferrara, Genoa, and Trieste.

The top two contestants from each local event will compete in the national final, scheduled for 27 September 2025 in Perugia. The Italian winner will go on to represent the country in the international final, to be held in November 2025.

The Genoa selection is coordinated by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), in collaboration with several local institutions: the National Research Council (CNR), the University of Genoa, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) – Genoa section, the Festival of Science Association, RAISE, the Genoa Aquarium, the Children’s City, the Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum, the Italian Association of PhD Students and Graduates (ADI) – Genoa chapter, the Museum Education Association (ADM), and with media partnership from Scientificast.

The event offers a valuable opportunity to bring science closer to the general public and to inspire a passion for research and science communication among younger generations.

RAISE leads the “ARTOUR – Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Tourism” project, funded by the Interreg Italy – France Maritime Programme 2021 – 2027

Posted on 30 April 202530 April 2025 by admin

RAISE is the lead partner of the “ARTOUR – Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Tourism” project, which has been deemed eligible and funded under the 2nd Call of the Interreg Italy – France Maritime Programme 2021 – 2027, with a total budget of € 1.996.431,63.

ARTOUR was selected under Priority 1 – A cross-border area that is attractive and based on smart and sustainable modernization, with a focus on Specific Objective 3 – Strengthening sustainable growth and the competitiveness of SMEs in the tourism and cultural services sectors.

The project partnership includes RAISE S.c.a.r.l. as the lead partner, e.INS (implementing body of the Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia), START 4.0 Competence Center, ARTES 4.0 Competence Center, the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Petra Patrimonia Corsica Cooperative. ARTOUR aims to promote the digital transformation of businesses through the introduction of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced 5G connectivity. The project aligns with the Industry 5.0 paradigm, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and the enhancement of natural and cultural heritage.

The project includes a wide range of activities to support SMEs operating in the relevant sectors:
– Support (including guidance, dissemination, and information activities) for the use of AI by companies in the tourism and cultural services sectors;
– Provision of pilot projects and demonstrations through which companies can conduct tests supported by experts with sector-specific knowledge (“test before invest” and technology transfer);
– Organization of Challenges via Calls for Ideas to identify and support the most promising initiatives capable of identifying needs and innovative solutions in the sector, thereby promoting constant interaction between supply and demand and fostering joint projects among SMEs, innovation actors, end users, etc.;
– Open calls for the provision of grants for the implementation of feasibility studies and Proofs of Concept (also leveraging the technological infrastructure and expertise of the technology transfer centers network), particularly targeting start-ups.

€ 520.000,00 of the project’s budget will be allocated as non-repayable grants for businesses operating in the tourism and cultural sectors, which will also gain access to services and technologies through the network of involved competence centers.

Running until July 31 2027, the ARTOUR project represents a concrete opportunity for local businesses, strengthening RAISE’s international presence and generating real and lasting impacts.

Angel Robot: poetry, light, and artificial intelligence at Robot Valley Genova 2025

Posted on 17 April 202518 April 2025 by admin

From April 10 to 16, 2025, Largo Sandro Pertini in Genoa was transformed into a space suspended between art and technology thanks to Angel Robot, one of the most evocative moments of the Robot Valley Genova 2025 program.

Created by artist Marco Nereo Rotelli, the installation took shape inside a special container produced by Elital, a company active in the design and production of components for the aerospace and aeronautics sectors. On the outside, the container appeared as a mysterious and industrial object; inside, however, something extraordinary happened.

Visitors entered an immersive environment where a hologram materialized: a moving mechanical figure, created in collaboration with digital designer Antonio Alfano, which seemed to take shape in real time before the audience’s eyes. Its name was Kalikazoo, a robotic angel that danced and invited reflection on the relationship between human beings and artificial intelligences.

The hologram didn’t just move — it spoke through poetry. Thanks to the collaboration with digital creative Luca Marazzina, Angel Robot offered verses generated by artificial intelligence systems, creating a bridge between poetic language and advanced technology. In this vision, the machine was not merely a tool, but a thinking heart, capable of expressing emotions and sparking thoughts.

As night fell, the installation gained an additional layer of meaning. In a rarefied blue light, verses by poet Edoardo Sanguineti — gifted in the past to Rotelli — were projected. The nighttime projection, curated directly by Rotelli, preserved the artist’s signature style, blending calligraphy, light, and motion into a poetic urban narrative.

Angel Robot was the result of a collective, multidisciplinary effort. The soundscape was created in collaboration with Alessio Bertallot, while overall coordination was entrusted to architect Elena Lombardi. The project was also made possible thanks to the contributions of Everinart, Fuoriscena for the lighting system, and Omai, curator of the digital box.

At a time when reflections on artificial intelligence are more relevant than ever, Angel Robot presented an artistic vision in which the human and the artificial did not oppose each other, but met. It was an invitation to imagine a future where technology does not erase poetry, but amplifies it — and where even a robot can be a messenger of beauty and understanding.

Robot Valley conquers Genoa: success for the second edition

Posted on 15 April 20256 May 2025 by admin

The second edition of “Robot Valley. Robotics, Arts and People” attracted over 2.000 attendees. The event, organized by the RAISE project, once again engaged the Genoese public, offering opportunities for discussion and exploration around robotics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

Held from April 10 to 12, this year the event had the honor of being selected by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) as an official event for the National Made in Italy Day, celebrated annually on April 15—a prestigious recognition that confirms its importance in the landscape of Italian technological and cultural excellence.

Once again, the venue was Villa Durazzo Bombrini in Cornigliano, the cultural hub of Genoa’s western district, which for three days was animated with talks, robotic demonstrations, interactive workshops, scientific update sessions, guidance activities, meetings with institutions and innovation experts, and the Innovation Showcase organized as part of the RAISE up mentorship program. This showcase offered a high-profile platform for 13 selected technologies to present themselves to entrepreneurs and businesses with potential interest.

In addition to highlighting the goals and progress of the various RAISE project “Spokes” through 13 events including roundtables and talks, the “Robot Valley” program also featured a strong artistic component, once again exploring the connections between new technologies and the languages and forms of art.

Genoese artist Alessandro Piano created a special installation for the event titled “Alter Ego Maxi RAISE”, a fiberglass sculpture with a hollow body housing a small saltwater aquarium. The aquarium, in turn, contained Alter Ego BIG LUDO, a “daughter” sculpture retrieved and displayed after spending 9 months at sea, its surface bearing various microorganisms as evidence of life in submerged environments. Another highlight was “Angel Robot”, a holographic installation by Venetian artist Marco Nereo Rotelli in collaboration with digital designer Antonio Alfano. Located in a container provided by the Elital group and installed in Genoa’s central Largo Pertini, the immersive experience showcased a graceful “mechanical angel” that conveyed, with expressive power, the importance of fostering a relationship between humans and machines. Visitors were also offered short poems generated by AI, inspired by the words and themes of Genoese poet Edoardo Sanguineti – providing a further reflection on how the fusion of different artistic languages can open new interpretative paths when applied to the world of technology.

The digital photography exhibition “Raise the Future” was also hosted at Villa Bombrini. Co-created with Artificial Intelligence by the National Research Council (CNR) in collaboration with the RAISE Communications Team, the impactful images immediately conveyed the research and technology transfer activities initiated by the project, illustrating inclusive and sustainable scenarios of a future in which robotics and AI collaborate in various human activities and contribute to improving quality of life and the environment.

“With over 800 visitors, the robotic demos also attracted great interest: representatives from the research teams of the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Genoa took turns in front of the public, explaining the operating principles, applications, objectives, and future developments of various robots. In particular, the RICE group from Dibris (University of Genoa) presented the social robots Buddy and Navel – currently used primarily in schools and for interacting with children – and Pepper, a social assistive robot that will soon be part of a trial in the geriatrics ward of San Martino Hospital in Genoa. They also showcased the quadruped robots Spot (developed in collaboration with Boston Dynamics) and Go1 Unitree, already in use for monitoring and “search and rescue” operations in high-risk areas. The Italian Institute of Technology, on the other hand, presented the social assistive robot R1 and a new robotic platform for the automatic collection of small litter, particularly cigarette butts, called VERO”.

Finally, there was a wide range of educational workshops aimed at schools, organized by the Science Festival Association in collaboration with the School of Robotics and the CNR Institute for Educational Technologies, registering a total of 680 attendees. The workshops included:
– “Programming is Child’s Play!” (by the Italian Institute of Technology);
– “Robo-sport: Let’s Program Champion Robots Together!” (by the School of Robotics in collaboration with CampuStore);
– “FantasIA: From Words to Artificial Imagination” (by CNR – Institute for Educational Technologies);
– “Algorithms and Digital Snakes: Discovering Reinforcement Learning” (by MaLGa Machine Learning Genoa Center, University of Genoa – Department of Civil, Chemical, and Environmental Engineering);
– “Co-creating with Artificial Intelligence: The New Frontier of Images and Art” (by CNR – Institute for Educational Technologies).

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“Programming the Future”: an afternoon at Villa Durazzo Bombrini focused on education and the professions of tomorrow

Posted on 14 April 202514 April 2025 by admin

On Friday, April 11, 2025, the splendid halls of Villa Durazzo Bombrini in Genoa hosted one of the most significant events in the Robot Valley Genova 2025 calendar: the conference “Programming the Future – Education and Career Paths in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence”, a valuable orientation opportunity for students.

From 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., the audience had the chance to listen to talks and personal stories from those who are already shaping the present of robotics and artificial intelligence. The afternoon opened with a presentation by Professor Armando Tacchella from the University of Genoa, who introduced the academic offerings in computer science, robotics, and engineering, emphasizing the importance of preparing new generations to meet the challenges of a constantly evolving field.

Among the conference speakers were Giulia Bodo (IIT), engaged in e-health research and Alberto Carlevaro (Aitek S.p.A.- CNR IEIIT), an expert in artificial intelligence. They shared their personal journeys from university studies to careers in industrial research. Joining them were Brunella Guida, a specialist in coastal modeling, Gaia Lorenzoni, a PhD candidate in Digital Humanities, and Rosanna Turrisi (CNR), a researcher active in neuroscience and the automated diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

The afternoon included a dedicated segment on the gender gap in STEM, with female participation in Italy still at just 16% in the ICT sector. Floriana Ferrara (IBM), promoter of the “NERD?” project, opened a dialogue on strategies to encourage girls to pursue scientific studies.

The event concluded with a presentation by Matteo Nazzario, who introduced the Robotics Lab at Intesa Sanpaolo’s Innovation Center—a space where experimentation in AI and automation is directly aligned with the needs of the banking and service sectors.

The meeting also offered an overview of the RAISE – Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment project, funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The initiative connects research, business, and institutions to develop technological solutions aimed at social well-being and regional development. Within the Robot Valley framework, the audience had the chance to explore some of the most advanced applications developed by the University of Genoa, CNR, IIT, and local companies—part of a vibrant and innovative ecosystem.

“Programming the Future” was not only a moment of discussion about the opportunities offered by robotics and artificial intelligence, but also a concrete invitation to actively participate in shaping a future where technology can be a tool for inclusion, creativity, and sustainable growth.

The meeting was attended by the Fermi Scientific High School of Massa, the Colombo Classical and Linguistic High School, the Fermi Scientific High School, the IIS Gastaldi-Abba, and the IIS Majorana-Giorgi of Genoa.

Workshops and robotic demonstrations: strong public engagement at the educational heart of Robot Valley Genova 2025

Posted on 14 April 202516 April 2025 by admin

The three-day event dedicated to the discovery of robotics and artificial intelligence, held as part of Robot Valley Genova 2025, successfully came to a close, drawing a remarkable turnout of schools and families.

A total of 680 participants took part in the educational workshops, while the robotic demonstrations attracted 815 attendees, confirming the growing interest in emerging technologies and their impact on everyday life.

The educational workshops, reserved for schools on April 10 and 11 and open to the public on April 12, were among the most engaging events of the festival. Four different formats were designed to bring children and young people closer to programming, educational robotics, and creative expression through artificial intelligence.

The workshop “Programming is Child’s Play!”, organized by the Italian Institute of Technology, offered younger participants an introduction to robot languages, showing how programming fundamentals can be learned through play.
The School of Robotics, in collaboration with CampuStore, led the “Robo-sport” workshop, where participants programmed robots to tackle small sports challenges, stimulating logical thinking and teamwork.
With “Algorithms and Digital Snakes”, the MaLGa Center at the University of Genoa introduced older students to the concept of reinforcement learning, demonstrating how robots can learn through interaction with the environment and feedback.
Finally, the CNR – Institute for Educational Technology offered two different workshops focusing on generative artificial intelligence: for schools, “FantasIA”, dedicated to transforming words into images using AI; and for the public, “Co-creating with Artificial Intelligence”, an opportunity to explore the new frontiers of digital creativity.

Alongside the workshops, the much-anticipated robotic demonstrations took place throughout the event, curated by the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Genoa. Research teams made their expertise and advanced prototypes available to visitors, explaining the development process of the robots and their potential future applications.

Among the highlights were YAPE, a robot designed for environmental monitoring, and R1, capable of interacting naturally with humans. VERO, a quadruped robot equipped for cleaning and sustainability tasks, also sparked great curiosity. Visitors were also able to engage directly with robots such as Pepper, Nao, Buddy, Navel, Spot, Horus and Pelan from the RICE lab at the University of Genoa—concrete examples of the diverse applications of contemporary robotics.

The educational area of Robot Valley reaffirmed the importance of scientific outreach as a bridge between research and society, promoting technological culture among younger generations in a dynamic and inclusive environment.

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The aesthetics of artificial intelligence: new forms of expression at Robot Valley Genova 2025

Posted on 14 April 202514 April 2025 by admin

On April 12, 2025, during the third day of the Robot Valley Genova 2025 festival, a conference titled “The Aesthetics of Artificial Intelligence took place, as part of the session dedicated to the relationship between art, science, and technology”. The event explored how new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, are transforming aesthetic language and creative processes in the visual arts.

The speaker was Rocco Antonucci, professor of Semiotics at the University of Genoa (Department of DIBRIS), who led the audience through a critical and fascinating analysis of the applications of AI in contemporary aesthetic research. During his talk, Antonucci emphasized how visual art, thanks to artificial intelligence, is increasingly taking on the traits of a performative art form, where human actors are accompanied — and sometimes replaced — by intelligent artificial agents.

These agents can interact with both each other and humans using natural language, gestures, and facial expressions, opening up new narrative and expressive possibilities. AI is therefore not only used to generate images or content, but also to simulate the human perceptual process — the subconscious mechanism by which the brain interprets random and undefined stimuli, assigning them coherent meaning.

“I believe that the use of artificial intelligence technologies can lead to a renewal of the contemporary art world. This is because they revitalize aesthetic languages, encouraging new ways of making art and developing forms of expression that are still unexplored but highly innovative. I also believe that the use of AI technologies, as adopted by some artists in the contemporary scene, can breathe new life into the discourse of art, which is currently in a deep crisis,” commented Antonucci at the end of the conference.

The event offered the public a moment of reflection on the role of artificial intelligence not only as a technical tool, but also as a new cultural actor, capable of interacting with human imagination and generating meaning. The talk fit perfectly within the spirit of the Robo Valley festival, which for years has promoted dialogue between science, art, and society, with a focus on openness to the digital transformations of our time.

Robot Valley Genova 2025: artificial intelligence between body, mind, and robotics

Posted on 11 April 202511 April 2025 by admin

The morning of April 11, 2025, marked the beginning of the second day of the second edition of Robot Valley Genova, a key event for innovation and robotics in Italy. The program was introduced by Fulvio Mastrogiovanni from the University of Genoa, the scientific director of the initiative, who presented the plenary session titled “Intelligence: Body and Mind”.

The keynote speech was delivered by Andrea Pescino, a mathematician, entrepreneur, digital technology expert, and founder of a digital twin initiative in the NGO sector. With over thirty years of experience in digital transformation, Pescino offered an overview of the current and future applications of artificial intelligence.

At the conclusion of his speech, Pescino stated: “I am very pleased to participate in Robot Valley Genova, in this context where dissemination and outreach events are organized in Genoa to raise awareness about artificial intelligence and its applications—even in important and particularly exclusive fields like robotics. I believe these moments are highly educational, extraordinary, and should be held in high regard”.

Following the keynote, a roundtable discussion featured prominent figures from the national scientific community. Participants included Claudio Semini from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Antonio Sgorbissa from the University of Genoa, Enrica Zereik from the National Research Council (CNR), and Letizia Zullo from IRCCS San Martino. The discussion was moderated by Massimo Massa from Aitek.

During the panel, the speakers explored the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in the fields of healthcare and assistance. Particular emphasis was placed on the implications of adopting AI in such sensitive areas, highlighting how these technologies can enhance the efficiency of healthcare systems and support vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

The conversation also extended beyond the technical domain, addressing the theme of the mind-body dualism, and reflecting on how intelligent machines influence our perception of human identity and our relationship with technology.

At the close of the morning session, Fulvio Mastrogiovanni emphasized the significance of the current historical moment: “I believe that talking about artificial intelligence, robotics, and the issue of mind and body is essential right now. Technological development is progressing at an impressive speed, and it is only right that this knowledge be transferred to people, who must understand the possible and future uses of such technology. Therefore, now more than ever, we need highly effective communication on these topics”.

The morning proved to be a valuable opportunity for dialogue between research, industry, and the public, reaffirming Robot Valley Genova’s role as a laboratory of ideas for a future where technology and humanity must increasingly engage in meaningful conversation.

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Innovation and connections at the heart of the first in-person event of the second edition of RAISE up

Posted on 11 April 202511 April 2025 by admin

On Thursday, April 10, 2025, Villa Durazzo Bombrini in Genoa hosted the first in-person event of the second edition of RAISE up, the Mentorship Program promoted by Spoke 5 and supported by PwC Italy and I3P – Incubator of the Politecnico di Torino.

The initiative was part of the Robot Valley Genova program and served as a valuable opportunity for companies, researchers, and innovation stakeholders to meet, with the goal of encouraging dialogue between applied research and the industrial world.

The event, titled Innovation Showcase 2025, focused on technological innovation and its concrete applications.

Participants were welcomed in the early afternoon and received informative materials to help them navigate the program. The opening session provided an overview of the RAISE up journey, with a particular focus on the second edition and its main objectives. Following this, the exhibition area was officially opened, where the selected teams presented their projects.

The exhibition featured thematic booths, explanatory posters, and working prototypes, giving attendees the chance to explore the proposed technological solutions up close. The direct interaction between teams and visitors encouraged the exchange of ideas, suggestions, and feedback that could help refine the projects and potentially spark new collaborations. A key part of the event was the networking session, structured through guided tours of the booths and one-on-one meetings, which facilitated focused and meaningful exchanges between researchers and representatives from the business world.

Throughout the day, an information desk was also available, dedicated to presenting the RAISE up Program and welcoming new entities interested in joining the mentorship path.

Thirteen teams were featured, divided into four thematic areas. In the field of inclusive technology design, projects included EASE VR, a virtual reality system for training people with motor disabilities, RAISE Walker, a Bluetooth keyboard to enhance urban accessibility, and WEMoS, a device that suggests optimal urban routes using a machine learning model.

In the area of smart technologies for the healthcare of the future, the event showcased solutions for rehabilitation and early diagnosis, such as DANTE, FitFES, Transfreq, REWIRE, and NEUROPEN, offering innovative tools for clinical assessment and neuromotor stimulation.

The ecorobotics section highlighted advanced tools for environmental protection, including BAR, BioVibes, AquaSense, and a highly configurable ROV system for marine monitoring. Finally, in the category dedicated to robotics and artificial intelligence for ports and the maritime industry, the team PuriFiCaTiO₂ presented a photocatalytic felt designed to purify air and water by degrading organic pollutants.

The event concluded in the late afternoon after an intense networking session. Participation was subject to registration, a sign of the growing interest in initiatives that prioritize knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation in service of society.

Art communicates science: presentation of the Bio Alter Ego and Angel Robot projects

Posted on 10 April 202517 April 2025 by admin

During the opening day of Robot Valley Genova 2025, a roundtable took place, featuring a stimulating dialogue between art, science, and technology. The discussion highlighted innovative projects that demonstrate how creativity can serve as a meeting point between seemingly distant yet deeply interconnected worlds.

Robot Valley, a place where technology and art merge, provided the perfect stage to explore how science can be conveyed through art, transforming scientific research into a form of visual and interactive expression.

Marco Nereo Rotelli, Alessio Bertallot, Luca Marazzini, Antonio Alfano and Alessandro Piano participated in the roundtable, moderated by Marco Faimali, coordinator of Spoke 3 of RAISE and scientific director of the Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Marine Sustainability (IAS-CNR), and Maurizio Gregorini, artistic director of Robot Valley. They took the opportunity to share with the audience the details of two extraordinary projects that blend art and science: Bio Alter Ego and Angel Robot.

The Bio Alter Ego project, curated by artist Alessandro Piano, presents an innovative installation displayed at Villa Durazzo Bombrini. Alter Ego Maxi RAISE, a 170 cm fiberglass sculpture with a hollow body, hosts a saltwater aquarium inside, symbolizing the connection between nature, art, and science. Inside it, Alter Ego BIG LUDO, a small 40 cm sculpture, was immersed in the sea off the coast of Camogli for nine months. During this period, Ludo became home to a variety of microorganisms, thus becoming a witness to a scientific journey that merges marine biology with contemporary art. At the same time, a smaller version of the sculpture, Alter Ego LUDO, was immersed in the port of Genoa at the CNR’s Experimental Marine Station, providing a contrast between the two marine environments. The scientific analysis of both objects, conducted by Faimali’s team, highlighted the importance of these experiments in studying the anthropogenic impact on the sea.

Meanwhile, in Largo Pertini, another fascinating artwork is on display: Angel Robot, a hologram created by artist Marco Nereo Rotelli in collaboration with Alessio Bertallot and with technical contributions from Luca Marazzina and Antonio Alfano, supported by ELITAL. Installed inside a futuristic container, the hologram represents a mechanical angel that dances, symbolizing the relationship between humans and machines. From April 10th to 16th, the public can interact with the piece, which will offer AI-generated poems as a tribute to Italian poetic tradition, thanks to collaboration with Luca Andrea Marazzina. At night, the installation transforms into an immersive experience, projecting verses that the artist received as a gift from Genoese poet Edoardo Sanguineti.

“I believe that progress happens when a research or a new technology creates benefits for everyone – and this also applies to art. Art, in itself, is a restricted territory; however, I work on opening it up. My work incorporates many forms of knowledge, ranging from ancient wisdom to the most advanced technologies. My latest works are created in collaboration with scientists because science creates knowledge, and art represents it. It is also important to discuss the boundaries that art can reach. An interesting quote from the great Frank Zappa comes to mind, who said: ‘I want electronic instruments because musicians make fewer mistakes’. Now, this may sound like a joke, but in my opinion, it encapsulates a form of thought. Between Frank’s voice, his guitar, and everything around it, an idea emerges: rethinking everything as an orchestra. I believe that the movement we should invest in is precisely this: an orchestra that brings together art, science, technology, and ancient wisdom, so that we can always become a platform for common action” commented artist Marco Nereo Rotelli.

“I created the Alter Egos so they could be an opportunity for Encounter. Because I wanted them to become a window into other worlds. Art, for me, is a bridge that helps with self-expression, and both the bridge and the window are, as master Rotelli rightly pointed out, important symbols of openness. The Alter Ego MAXI Raise is the synthesis of all this. It is Art, it is play, it is inclusion, it is an opportunity for meeting among all the realities that participated in this project, and it is a window into the world of marine Biodiversity—a world that must be observed, studied, but respected while keeping the right distance,” says Alessandro Piano at the end of the roundtable discussion.

These projects provide a concrete demonstration of how art can tell and enrich science and how technology can be used to create new forms of cultural expression. The fusion of these different disciplines not only enriches the artistic landscape but also contributes to a deeper reflection on our relationship with the environment, technology, and creativity.