The first day of “Stone is…”, the first International Forum entirely dedicated to authentic natural stone, which is being held in Venice until 13 June, has come to an end.
The morning began with institutional greetings from Raffaella Laezza, scientific director of the Forum and professor at the IUAV University of Venice, followed by Benno Albrecht, Rector of the IUAV University of Venice, Roberto Beraldo, President of the Order of Architects PPC of the Province of Venice, and Stefano Ghirardi, President of the PNA | Authentic Natural Stone Network. These four speakers officially opened the proceedings, emphasising the importance of the Forum as a space for international dialogue.
From the very first speeches, a shared vision emerged clearly: stone is not just a building material, but a cultural, environmental and symbolic element, capable of intertwining memory, design and the future.
The morning began with Walter Mariotti, who explored the link between matter and imagination, followed by Claudia Chiappino, who focused on the environmental impact of stone, and Francesco Canali, who spoke about the historic quarries of Milan Cathedral.
The afternoon featured international guests such as Kinue Horikawa, Najla El Zein, Peter Eisenman, Suguru Watanabe, Angela Vettese, Christian Pongratz, Maria Perbellini and Peter Harrison, in an open discussion between art, architecture and matter.
The day ended with the first session of “Mapping Stone is”, led by Raffaella Laezza, who initiated a process of reading and mapping the Forum.
There was great participation and interest from the public, confirming the growing attention towards the conscious and design-relevant use of natural stone in the contemporary landscape.
The second day promises to be equally rich in ideas, visions and multidisciplinary contributions.
Browse the gallery to relive the most significant moments of the day.
