Chicago, Mexico City And New York Featured In Alcantara-MAXXI Project

ROME, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago, Mexico City and New York were among eight urban landscapes interpreted by an all-star group of designers using Alcantara^® for a recent exhibit at the MAXXI museum in Rome.

"Local Icons – Urban Landscapes from North to South" was the third in a series of exhibits developed by Alcantara in partnership with the MAXXI museum. Interpretations of Dakar, Helsinki, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago de Chile and Stockholm, all using luxury material from Alcantara, also were part of the exhibit.

Steven Haulenbeek, a Michigan native now based in Chicago, views Chicago's landscape of skycrapers in context with the city's Great Fire of 1871. A sculptor and internationally known designer, he founded Steven Haulenbeek Design Concepts (www.stevenhaulenbeek.com) in 2010.

Liliana Ovalle pays homage to Mexican folk culture and architectural past with images of Mexico City's central streets festooned with brightly colored paper in celebration of festivals and national holidays. Born in Mexico City, Ovalle (www.lilianaovalle.com) is a London-based designer whose work has appeared in exhibitions throughout the world.

Architect and industrial designer Marc Thorpe (www.marcthorpedesign.com) worked to create a living metaphor of New York City's Central Park.  According to Thorpe, his contribution to Alcantara's MAXXI project was "designed to reflect the spirit of Central Park through spatial relationships between public and private, active and passive space."

Other well-known designers and studios that contributed to the Local Icons exhibit included Birsel + Seck (Dakar); Ilkka Suppanen (Helsinki); Gustavo Martini (Rio de Janeiro); Great Things to People (Santiago de Chile), and Form Us With Love (Stockholm).

"We're pleased to have renewed our partnership with the MAXXI, an alliance that is expressed year after year in projects that enhance the extreme multi-functionality of a unique medium that has become an integral part of the creative process for artists and designers around the world," said Andrea Boragno, president and CEO of Alcantara S.p.A. "Today, the global design community fully understands the potential of Alcantara and its ability to constantly reinvent itself."

Giovanna Melandri, president of Fondazione MAXXI added "We have found an attentive, respectful and innovative partner in Alcantara, a leading company that truly understands the value of the power of cultural content in productive processes."

Curated by Giulio Cappellini and Domitilla Dardi, the unique 2017 exhibit at the MAXXI museum took place from February 3 through 26.

Alcantara S.p.A. – www.alcantara.com 
Founded in 1972, Alcantara represents a prime example of Italian-produced quality. As registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A. and the result of a unique and proprietary technology, Alcantara^® is a highly innovative material, offering an unrivalled combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional qualities. Thanks to its extraordinary versatility, Alcantara is the choice of leading brands in a number of fields, including fashion and accessories, automotive, interior design and home décor, and consumer electronics. Since 2009, Alcantara has been certified "Carbon Neutral," having defined, reduced and offset all of the CO₂ emissions derived from its activities. Headquartered in Milan, Alcantara's production site and R&D department are located in Nera Montoro, in the heart of Umbria Region (Terni).

SOURCE Alcantara