Gaia is a Rotterdam-based multimedia designer,  artist and creative researcher originally from Milan, Italy. In her practice, she combines material research, storytelling to investigate environmental exhaustion, contaminated landscapes, and toxisity. She explore the interaction between the environments, the matters and the bodies and how human activities, production and culture manifest into the material realm. Her work is channeled through multimedia installations, archives, video art work, collective experience, and performances that challenge the relationship between fiction, myth and realities surrounding consumerism, standards, and norms. 
In addition to her exhibitions and academic engagements, since 2019, She has gained experience working with cultural associations and design collectives. She has been working at SO, a cultural association in Milan, curating and producing a public program of workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. Gaia is also a member of WhyWhynot, a Rotterdam-based studio space, where they work on spatial and installation design, as well as editorial and graphic work.

Exhibitions

2024 “Pressing Matter” with WhyWhyNot, Keilewerf 2, Rotterdam Art Week (NL)
2024 ITALY: A New Collective Landscape,” HKDI Gallery di Hong Kong (HK)
2023 Plan-B, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL)
2023 ReA! Art Fair 2023, Fabbrica Del Vapore, Milan (IT)
2023ITALY: A New Collective Landscape, ADI Design Museum, Milan (IT)
2022 DAE Graduation Show, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL)
2021 Zero Hunger, Zero Power, Klokgebouw, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL)
2021 Working Through Conditions/Conditioning,” Perculate Collective in collaboration with the Van Abbemuseum at Eindhoven Airport, (NL)

Experiences

2024 “Spatial Tales of Unearthly Critters” MIARD and COOKIES at Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam (NL)
TALK, PERFOMANCE
2023Piet Zwart Institute,MIARD Department, Rotterdam, NL
GUEST TUTOR FINAL
2023Podcast with Future Material - Jan Van Eyck Academie at Klokgebouw, DDW23 Eindhoven (NL)
PODCAST
2023“Inizi Continui” at Italian Cultural Institute curated by Martina Muzzi and Studio Ossidiana, Amsterdam (NL)
LECTURE, PERFORMANCE, COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE PRODUCTION
2022-Now 1/8 Of WhyWhyNot, Interdisciplinary research and design collective - Project: catalogue and identity for Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show 2023, (NL)
RESEARCH AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT, GRAPHIC DESIGN, PHOTOSHOOT ART DIRECTION
2023 ReA! Art Fair 2023, Fabbrica Del Vapore, Milan (IT)
PERFORMANCE OPENING
2023 Commissioned furniture made of salt-based polymer by Ginevra Gatti for the project AMNAS, Milan (IT)
MATERIAL RESEARCH, PRODUCTION, ASSISTENT SET DESIGN.
2023 ADI Design Museum, Milan Design Week (IT)
PERFORMANCE PUBLIC PROGRAM
2022  Design Academy Eindhoven, Master Social Design. (NL)
GUEST LECTURE
2022-2023 Odd Matter Studio, Fendi’s shops window, Rotterdam (NL)
PRODUCTION
2022 “Story of Dust,” at Arena DAE Graduation Show DDW22, Microtuin (NL)
PANEL DISCUSSION, PERFORMANCE
2019- Now SO Associazione Culturale StudiOfficina, cultural association organizing foundraising project,Milan (IT)
PUBLIC PROGRAM PLANNING (EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, SCREENINGS AND TALKS), CURATION AND PRODUCTION OF  EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS, ARTIST COORDINATION

Education

2020-2023 MA Social Design (Cum laude), DAE, Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven (NL)
2016-2019 BA Product Design (Cum laude), NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan (IT)
2021 Depth Psychology Academy, Jung and Alchemy, Online course

Featured

Upcoming 2024Slanted Publishers book project “Reload.Earth” (DE)
2024“Spatial Tales of Unearthly Critters” MIARD and COOKIES (NL)
2023Catalogue “ITALY: A New Collective Landscape,” ADI Design Museum (IT)
Acre Magazine - Interview about “The Myth of the CiucciaNebbia” https://acremagazine.com/en/2023/06/14/the-myth-of-ciuccianebbia-by-gaia-darrigo/
Future Material Bank, Jan van Eyck Academie (NL) https://www.futurematerialsbank.com/material/pollution/