Cr(e)ate - Crates Become Art

Eco-design, upcycling and creativity at the service 
FERCAM, sustainability partner of the XIV Florence Biennale, has long been engaged in a circular economy project that enhances heterogeneous competences with a common goal: to present an innovative and more responsible model for art logistics. The queen of art transport is the crate, made of high quality materials, whose life, however, often ends in a single trip before being dismantled. Hence the "REcrate" project, for the realisation of a packaging that, while maintaining the rigour and traditional classical characteristics, offers the customer an eco-friendly option realised in a circular economy perspective. Thanks to the collaboration with Echo Labs, an opportunity is also created to contribute to the development of social carpentry, which offers employment to fragile categories. Once the crate has effectively reached the end of its life, it can be donated and, through the partner network and upcycling projects, re-imagined into a piece of furniture to be given to the community and to private entities sensitive to this issue. 

The project for the XIV Florence Biennale 
Thanks to the collaboration between the Florence Biennale and FERCAM, it was born the idea of transforming some crates, previously used to transport artworks from important museum institutions, into actual artworks, thanks to the involvement of 5 street artists, partly selected from the artists participating in the XIV Florence Biennale (Stefano Alvino and Rinascimento Punk), and partly chosen from the artists of the Street Levels Gallery (Ache 77, Exit Enter and Kraita 317), who also offered technical and organisational support for the initiative. The street artists involved used the boxes donated by FERCAM as supports to create new artworks, created in front of the visitors of the XIV Florence Biennale. 

Chiara Prisco, Head of FERCAM Fine Art, commented with enthusiasm on FERCAM's participation in the project: «our commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, together with Echo Labs, finds a perfect synergy in this collaboration with the Florence Biennale and Street Levels Gallery. It was wonderful to be able to see in real time how the artists involved were able to transform what had been the container of the work into the work itself, elevating the transport crate to a new level of artistic significance. And contributing to an initiative that combines art, sustainability and solidarity, supporting Villa Lorenzi and the local community with the works created, is a source of great pride for us». 

Street Levels Gallery
Street Levels Gallery is an urban art gallery in Florence, dedicated to artistic experimentation and the exhibition of artworks.
«As a representative of Street Levels Gallery – says Sofia Bonacchi, co-curator of the project – I can only express my enthusiasm for the tangible impact this project will have on our area. This initiative not only promotes eco-design and the circular economy, but is actively committed to supporting the local youth community. By supporting realities such as Villa Lorenzi, which has long been committed to supporting troubled youth and their families, the ‘REcrate’ project stands as an exemplary union of art and solidarity. My belief in the transformative power of art as a tool for social change is enhanced by having been involved in the construction of this initiative, and I am deeply proud to be part of it».