Acqua Lambro talks during Milan Design Week: exploring the synergies between artistic action and research

From 7th to 11th April 2025 during Milan Design Week 2025, the artistic project Acqua Lambro, conceived by the British-Irish duo gethan&myles, was presented to the public in Milan at Politecnico di Milano.

Acqua Lambro is a project of art, design, and ecology built around an “impossible idea”: transforming the water of one of the most polluted rivers in Europe into a prestigious mineral water. It consists of a sculpture-machine made from materials salvaged from the river, and uses filtration and evaporation to transform river water into “impossible” mineral water. The water is presented in limited-edition glass bottles – made by Milanese glassblower Carlo Cereda. Halfway between speculative design, situationist provocation, and environmental activism, the project aims to reopen the possibility of a reciprocal relationship of care between the Lambro River and the people of Milan.

First presented on 7th April 2025 at Politecnico di Milano, the public was invited to a talk about the project and PALIMPSEST with speakers: Massimo Bricocoli, Ilaria Valente, Grazia Concillio (Politecnico di Milano), Elena Grandi (Comune di Milano), Dario Kian (ERSAF), gethan&myles (artists) and Stefano Beghi (KARAKORUM). Making the event even more engaging was the site-specific performance by LostMovement, who, with a choreography inspired by river dynamics, guided the audience through a performative journey across the campus, symbolically leading them to the Acqua Lambro installation.

On 9th and 10th April, the conversation continued with urban incursions by Lost Movement, workshops led by Stefano Beghi (KARAKORUM), and two round tables:

• “Why is a dialogue between art and research necessary?” animated by Nicolo Abbattista (Lost Movement), Fabio Zulli (Oyes) and Maurice Pefoura (ReverseLab). 
• “What artistic perspectives for antifragile territories?” animated by Anna Moro, Antonio Longo and Gabriele Pasqui (Politecnico di Milano)

The last scheduled event on the 11th of April was dedicated to the presentation of the IMMACCHINARIUM project, an inspired project for the Lambro river in the city of Milan. 

Now that Design Week is over, the Acqua Lambro project will continue its journey, visiting various communities up and down the Lambro river. Follow @acqualambro on Instagram to hear updates on its travels!

Acqua Lambro is the fruit of a shared creation by Irish artists gethan&myles, in collaboration with Italian and European actors involved in the European project PALIMPSEST. It falls within the framework of the New European Bauhaus strategy and explores how art can support a change of approach with respect to environmental challenges in three pilot cases (Jerez de la Frontera, Lodz, Milan). Acqua Lambro reflects the PALIMPSEST project’s aim to integrate ecological awareness with artistic expression to shape more sustainable, inclusive futures.

Thank you to all our partners, collaborators, visitors, and supporters who made this project come to life!