• The photography volume is the result of a research project on the past and present of engineering through contemporary languages. An artist residency experience promoted by MAIRE and Fondazione MAIRE – ETS in collaboration with the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, involving students and photography professors from the Accademie di Belle Arti of Brera, Catania, and Rome
• A new call, for MAIRE residency scholarships for students of Academies involved, has been announced
• The works will remain on display at the MAIRE complex, Garibaldi Towers in Milan, until November 26

Milan, November 13, 2025 – Presented today as part of BookCity Milano 2025, the volume “in-genium. Gazes into technology past and future” is the result of a collaboration between the MAIRE Group and its Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, and the Accademie di belle Arti of Brera, Catania and Rome. The project explores the roots of ancient technology and its links with today's engineering skills, embracing the philosophical, semiotic, architectural as well as archaeological spheres —but above all, offering a reflection on the challenges of sustainability and innovation, through the language of contemporary photography.

Published by Silvana Editoriale, the volume is a journey through the history of téchne – the art of craftsmanship and knowledge –, unfolding through a collective and experimental experience: an “artist-in-residence” in Rome, coordinated by Carmelo Nicosia, involving students and professors from the Accademie. Six key concepts guide the book’s development – design, measure, channel, mix, lift, reuse – each opening a window onto aspects of Roman engineering and architecture, where the ancient converses with the present, and technique becomes narrative.

The presentation, held at the Pinacoteca di Brera under the title “Technology: Yesterday and Tomorrow”, featured Carmelo Nicosia, Professor at the Accademia of Catania and project coordinator, Cosmo Laera, Professor at the Accademia of Brera, Giovanni Curtis, Professor at the Accademia of Brera, photographers Noemi Comi and Gabriele Barbagallo, Carlo Nicolais, Institutional Relations, Communication and Sustainability VP MAIRE, and Massimo Dapoto, Group Communication Manager MAIRE.

During the event, the launch of a new call for three MAIRE residency scholarships was also announced, aimed at photography students from the Accademie of Brera, Catania, and Rome.

The in-genium photography exhibition opens today at the MAIRE complex in the Garibaldi Towers of Milan, with a cultural welcome cocktail. A selection of images from the volume retraces the stages of the research project, enriched by dialogue with its key contributors. The works will remain on display until November 26, 2025. The in-genium project has also become a podcast, narrated by Jacopo Veneziani and available on major streaming platforms (produced by Chora Media).

The exhibition is also part of the XXIV Settimana della Cultura d’Impresa, the event series promoted by Confindustria and Museimpresa, this year themed “Telling the Story of Enterprise. To Grow Open and Connected Businesses.”