Energy: Emilia-Romagna and ENEA award winning works of the "Energia fatta ad Arte" competition

Transforming energy into art through a work that makes this intangible resource visible to leverage it: this is the goal achieved by the seven winning works of “Energia fatta ad Arte”, the competition organized by the Emilia-Romagna Region and ENEA addressed at designers and artists under 40.

The awards were presented in Bologna by the Vice President of the Region Vincenzo Colla, and the head of the ENEA Laboratory for the Promotion of Energy Efficiency Antonio Disi, during an event at ‘Arte Fiera 2026’ hosted by journalist and green economy expert Marco Gisotti.

The “Energia fatta ad Arte” competition, organized in collaboration with Art-ER and the regional network of Clust-ER and Responsible Innovators, is part of the activities provided for in the collaboration agreement between the Region and ENEA, aimed at promoting sustainability and energy transition, in accordance with the 2030 Regional Energy Plan and the 2022-2024 Three-Year Implementation Plan.

The initiative involved 22 local companies that provided objects, technologies and materials as sources of inspiration, including hemp fibers, synthetic sponges, eco-resins, recycled plastics, technical tools, QR codes, hospital gowns, components for washing machines and fluorescent lamps, computer keyboards and other hardware supplies. Based on this catalog and specific guidelines, around thirty participants submitted sketches or concepts for the two sections “Visual Arts” and “Design.”

A jury selected 21 finalist projects, whose authors created their complete works using the objects, technologies and materials provided. Among the works, the jury awarded seven with €2,000, the value corresponding to their acquisition by the Region. Four works received special mentions and, together with the other non-winning works, will remain the property of their creators, who may choose to donate them to the Region or to the company that provided the object from which they were created.

“The fusion of languages between science, business and art is a creative way to recount the challenges of our time,” said Vice President Colla. There are at least three challenges involved in this creative endeavor: first, to describe the ecological transition in concrete terms; second, to trigger a dialogue between business and culture; third, to foster awareness on how we live, consume and manage our precious energy resources in the midst of climate change. The transition underway is not merely technological but above all cultural".

“With this initiative, we wanted to show that the energy transition depends not only on more efficient technologies, but above all on choices, behaviors and collective imagination”, pointed out Antonio Disi at ENEA. "Experience shows that simply disseminating data and technical knowledge is not sufficient to guide sustainable decisions: there is often a gap between what we know and what we actually do. Art and design can help us bridge this gap by making processes, infrastructure and impacts that normally remain hidden visible and transforming them into experiences that engage people on an emotional and cultural level. This encounter between scientific knowledge and creative languages is crucial for a conscious and participatory transition "

The jury that selected the finalists and winners comprised three representatives from the Emilia-Romagna Region: Cristina Ambrosini, head of the Cultural Heritage sector; Claudia Collina, from the Cultural Heritage Promotion sector; Fabio De Luigi, head of the Digitization, Promotion and Communication sector. Antonio Disi from ENEA; Davide Ferri, artistic director of “Arte Fiera”; Elena Maria Formia, coordinator of the degree course in Industrial Product Design at the University of Bologna.Folowing “Arte Fiera”works, the project foresees an exhibition tour shocasing allfinalist works, with the first stop being “Key - The Energy Transition Expo”, scheduled to take place in Rimini from March 4 to 6, 2026, and additional venues to be selected.

For more information: comunichiamoenergia.it

The works mentioned

Visual arts

“0 - 255”“0 - 255” / Andrea Veronica Cimino

Motivation:. It makes the light flow tangible and the act of turning on the light a sensory experience. The heat-sensitive film records heat and gradually reveals light, translating consumption and transformation of matter into perception. The lamp serves as a critical device fostering  a deeper, more conscious gaze.

“Girafischi”“Girafischi” / Alessia Cincotto - Collettivo Periferico

Motivation: It translates the abstract feeling of breath into a sensory experience by bridging the gap between the body and the device. Industrial objects become a participatory experience, in which reuse becomes a critical and poetic gesture. The work unveils invisible processes and invites us to rethink and transform functions and sounds applying attention and awareness.

“An Extraction from Muhabbet”“An Extraction from Muhabbet” / Dilan Perisan

Motivation: It buids an intimate system of relationships in which energy circulates between bodies, objects and discarded materials. The book of matter and the use of gloves turn the act of handling into a meaningful interaction that intertwines memory, presence and residue, bringing out the continuity between everyday life and shared matter in a delicate balance between nouveau réalisme suggestions and relational art.

“Segni di violenza”“Segni di violenza” / Lucilla Rossi

Motivation: In “Signs of Violence,” the gesture turns abstract environmental data in living experience, turning the body into a sensor, acting as a bridge between the industrial object and the Earth. The audiovisual action, between sound and silence, activates awareness and responsibility through the inevitability of micro-violence under pressure to a surface. The water at the end introduces an energy of care and possibility.

Design

“Tessiture solari - Workshop di speculative e critical design”“Tessiture solari - Workshop di speculative e critical design” / Giorgio Francesco Calvi

Motivation: Transform the project into a collective practice. The reflective devices, brought together in a shared installation, make the interdependencies between light, people and behavior perceptible. The workshop acts as an educational tool, promoting awareness and responsibility through participatory experience.

“Passi che contano”“Passi che contano” / Giorgia Scurani - Collettivo Egregio

Motivation: It makes energy production visible through an everyday action: walking. The interactive pavement activates light with movement, translating energy conversion into direct experience. The project actively involves people and builds a concrete relationship between body, matter and the environment.

“Humi3”“Humi3” / Ilenia Virdis

Motivation: It makes the water balance of the soil perceptible, turning an invisible process into a tangible experience. The device translates data into readable light signals and, without external pressure, guides users toward responsible behavior. The result is a direct relationship between technology, matter and attention to the environment.

The works mentioned

Visual arts

“Anatomia di luce”“Anatomia di luce” / Anouk Andrea Boni

Motivation: Turns discarded neon lamps into contemplative images, making energy processes visible as traces inscribed in matter. The fragments reveal unexpected morphologies and invite us to take a closer look at what remains visible/invisible, encouraging reflection on responsibility and the possibility of transformation of each particle of light.

“Reflettó”“Reflettó” / Mehrnoosh Roshanaei

Motivation: It turns the mirror into a critical device, activating a conscious gaze on the multifaceted complexity of reality. The spiral of refracting fragments turns light into expressive matter and produces an unstable image that challenges transparency, inviting us to slow down our gaze and moving from passive observation to actively engaging with the ever-changing, complex patterns of existence.

Design

“Hotspot”“Hotspot” / Lorenzo Ferrari - Collettivo Kredo

Motivation: It transforms energy into an urban experience by integrating heating modules into existing micro-architectures. Waiting areas become comfortable spaces for socializing, thanks to the reuse of infrastructure and the natural diffusion of heat. Energy becomes a tool for collective care between body, the environment and the city.

“Lampada IVI”“Lampada IVI” / Matteo Marinaro

Motivation: It makes energy consumption visible in everyday life by transforming light into a conscious interface. Color-coded signage and acoustic alerts translate technical data into sensory experiences, promoting awareness and responsibility. The device combines practicality with awareness.