A leash is usually an expression of order. It is an object that sets a limit, a boundary. On occasion of the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, at Spazio Thetis, the joint installation-project titled “Off Leash” was created by architect Arturo Montanelli and artist Velasco Vitali.
Its composition called for the use of a container clad in a random sheath (an agglomeration of waste plastic and rubber) with two escape routes: on one side, the sea (suggesting the idea of a landing, arriving at a new context, moving towards civilization), and on the other, dry land.
Here there was a group of dogs off the leash, Vitali’s strays, expressing the human rites of passage towards greater freedom and awareness of other people.
“Off Leash” is a dynamic touring museum structure located in various places, sometimes beyond the frontier (representing a process of mixing and hybridization of different cultures and arts), taking different forms according to the location where it is hosted.
Stone Italiana created a mono-material prototype for Arturo Montanelli and Velasco Vitali, with an outer cladding obtained by bonding recycled gravel with various particle sizes. The floor surface of the architectural installation was clad using experimental slabs in Stonit+ from the DNA URBANO collection, made using dust obtained from street sweeping.
Specially designed for outdoor installation, the slabs of DNA URBANO are obtained from recovered materials, appropriately treated. They offer a high level of drainage and strength.
The remaining proportion of slabs of DNA Urbano consist of sand, quartz dust and polyester resin. These materials, after having been converted, are transformed into a new raw material that can be used for flooring, therefore reducing wastage. DNA Urbano is a prestigious collection from the range by Stone Italian, a company which from 1979 has revealed its ability to perform Research & Development while maintaining high standards of visual appearance, ethics and sustainability.
