by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: Maurizio Giani, curator of the SCART exhibition; Andre Varani, fashion photographer.
The Salone degli Incanti in Trieste hosted a public talk titled “Dialogo tra arte, creatività e sostenibilità,” centered on the 28th edition of the SCART project, on view in Trieste this year under the title Il lato bello e utile del rifiuto. The event featured Maurizio Giani, Head of Marketing and Brand Promotion at HERAmbiente SpA and creator and curator of the SCART project, alongside fashion photographer Andrea Varani.
SCART is a Waste Art initiative by Gruppo Hera, one of Italy’s largest multi-utility companies operating in the environment, energy, and water sectors. According to the Salone degli Incanti, the project has served for nearly 30 years as a vehicle for communicating circular economy values through artistic creation.
Giani traced the project’s development over nearly three decades, highlighting collaborations with institutions, fine arts academies, schools, and industrial partners. Notable examples include costume design for productions at the Teatro del Silenzio, associated with Andrea Bocelli, and a partnership with Automobili Lamborghini that resulted in six “Super Robot” sculptures, each standing 450 centimeters tall and constructed from Lamborghini production waste.
Varani, whose 16 photographs are featured in the exhibition’s sustainable fashion section, discussed his involvement with SCART and the integration of discarded materials into fashion imagery. The section also includes 28 garments made entirely from recovered industrial materials, such as tire inner tubes, mattress scraps, and plastic bottles.
The talk concluded with a guided tour of the exhibition. The show, promoted by the Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, Comune di Trieste, Gruppo Hera, AcegasApsAmga, and Automobili Lamborghini, remains open to the public free of charge at Riva Nazario Sauro 1, Tuesday through Sunday, through May 3, 2026.
