On June 11, Miami will host the first edition of the Fiber Triennial, an international event dedicated to fiber art, encompassing artistic practices that employ fibers, textiles, yarns, weaving techniques, and textile materials as contemporary means of expression. Among the artists featured in the event is Italian artist Emilio Vavarella, who will present the project Lifeweave (2025), developed in collaboration with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and previously exhibited at the 18th Quadriennale d’Arte di Roma.
On this occasion, the Italian Cultural Institute of Miami will host Emilio Vavarella for a lecture entitled Transforming Science into Art: New Media, DNA, and Artificial Intelligence, scheduled for Friday, June 12 at 6:30 PM at the Institute headquarters. What do textiles have in common with DNA, plants, and artificial intelligence? Through an overview of some of his most recent artistic projects, Vavarella will explore the relationships between art, biology, technology, and artificial intelligence.
The event will also feature screenings of two short artist films: Genesis: The Other Shapes of Me (2021) and, as an exclusive preview, Sculpted by Dreams (2026), a new generative video art project commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and inspired by the work of Antonio Canova. Starting from the plaster model of Dancer with Cymbals (1811–1815), which Canova used as the basis for a later marble sculpture, Vavarella reflects on the relationship between originality, replication, and artistic production processes. The film combines live-action footage, AI-generated images and videos, music created through generative systems, and a soundtrack that merges contemporary Latin music with sonified binary code sequences, creating an immersive experience that questions the future of artistic production in the age of artificial intelligence.
Emilio Vavarella is an Italian artist and researcher whose work combines interdisciplinary artistic practice, theoretical research, and media experimentation. His works have been exhibited at major museums and contemporary art centers worldwide, including the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts, KANAL – Centre Pompidou, and numerous other institutions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. His work has also been featured at internationally renowned film and media art festivals, including the Torino Film Festival, the European Media Art Festival, and the Japan Media Arts Festival.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Exibart Art Prize and the Italian Council Award. He has also been invited to present his work at prestigious international academic and cultural institutions, including Harvard University, Goldsmiths, University of London, and SIGGRAPH. Vavarella teaches Media and Film Studies at Skidmore College (New York) and holds a Ph.D. in Film and Visual Studies and Critical Media Practice from Harvard University.
Admission is free with mandatory reservation by emailing iicmiami.segreteria@esteri.it.
