by InTrieste
In Trieste, an exhibition is turning trash into talking points — and drawing crowds while doing it. Through May 3, 2026, the Salone degli Incanti hosts SCART – Il lato bello e utile del rifiuto, a show that reveals the hidden beauty of discarded materials while making a compelling case for the circular economy. The response has been strong: as of April 23, more than 21,000 visitors have already passed through its doors.
The project, developed by Gruppo Hera, reimagines waste as raw material for creativity. For nearly thirty years, SCART has blended art and environmental awareness, using installations and design pieces to make sustainability both visible and accessible. Here, the message is clear: what we throw away still has value — if we choose to see it.
The setting amplifies the impact. The Salone degli Incanti, a former fish market dating back to 1913, stretches along Trieste’s waterfront, its airy halls now filled with works that blur the line between art, fashion and industrial design. The exhibition unfolds in two main sections, each offering a different perspective on reuse.
One focuses on sustainable fashion, presenting 28 garments made entirely from recycled materials. Dresses crafted from defective work gloves, wooden bingo numbers, construction-site tape and even tire inner tubes challenge conventional ideas of luxury and craftsmanship. A series of photographs by Andrea Varani adds another layer, showing the pieces in motion and bringing their theatrical quality to life.
The second section shifts scale dramatically. Towering 4.5-meter “Super Robot SCART” sculptures — created using waste from Automobili Lamborghini production lines — stand as futuristic guardians of the environment. Designed in collaboration with illustrator Giuseppe Camuncoli and students from leading Italian art and design schools, the figures turn industrial leftovers into symbols of possibility.
Promoted by the Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Comune di Trieste, the exhibition has also drawn attention for its broader message. As Regional Councillor Fabio Scoccimarro noted at its opening, SCART is not just an exhibition but a manifesto — one that reframes environmental protection as an opportunity for creativity and growth.
That idea resonates throughout the show. SCART doesn’t just display objects; it reframes perception. Waste, here, is not an endpoint but a beginning — a resource waiting to be transformed. Judging by the steady flow of visitors, it’s a message that’s landing.
