At Milan Design Week 2026, Arte presents a monochrome experience where material, texture and craftsmanship take centre stage. Inspiration from the symbolism and natural richness of ancient Egypt is translated into a contemporary spatial composition, created in collaboration with Sagarminaga Atelier.
Echoes of Memphis
The Guardian of the City
The window display unfolds as an abundant landscape inspired by ancient Memphis. At the center, a serene figure welcomes all who arrive. She embodies hospitality: a guardian who sustains the balance between nature and culture, between the wild and the domestic. Around her, life unfolds naturally. Fruits, vessels, organic forms and vegetal elements compose a scene of generosity.
The Passage
An inhabitant of Memphis crosses the Nile by boat, gliding quietly over the water. Around him, riverside vegetation becomes active. Among stems, flowers, and reeds, small animals appear and disappear, tracing a choreography of balance and coexistence. The scene evokes the intimate relationship between human and landscape, where time flows steadily.
The Presence
Among low-lying plants and vegetation, a crocodile emerges discreetly. Its presence introduces a subtle tension within an environment where different species coexist in balance. Around it, small animals share the same habitat, a living and silent ecosystem where everything appears interconnected.
The Trace
A fragment of wall stands at the center of the scene, marking the presence of an architecture that has lost its function yet retains its memory. Around it, clay vessels lie scattered, some fragmented, alongside frayed textiles that echo the passage of time. The constructed slowly dissolves into its surroundings. The ensemble proposes a reflection on the transformation of matter and the eternal cycle of rise and decline.
The Oasis
In this fertile and enveloping landscape, vegetation becomes denser and more expansive. A snake ascends slowly along a rock, tracing a continuous movement. Around it, palm trees and foliage create a space where nature unfolds with a heightened intensity, as a place of refuge and abundance.
The Flower of the Oasis
In another fragment of the oasis, vegetation diversifies and gains greater richness. Among flowers and native species, an ibis stands, integrating into the landscape as part of its natural balance. Around it, a cascade of fig blossoms flows softly, introducing a vertical movement that envelops the scene. The flora becomes more varied and expressive, while small animals appear spontaneously among the plants, activating the space with a sense of continuous life.
Sagarminaga Atelier
Echoes of Memphis is created in collaboration with Sagarminaga Atelier, founded by Gabriela de Sagarminaga in Bilbao. She reinterprets traditional fibre techniques in contemporary designs. Working with noble materials such as esparto, wood, metal, and leather, the atelier creates handcrafted objects and installations with a distinctive tactile and architectural presence.
For this installation, Sagarminaga Atelier translated scenes from Ancient Egypt into refined, life-sized artworks crafted from organic materials. Across all scenes, Arte’s wallcovering materials have been deconstructed and reinterpreted, with the aim of revealing their versatility and expressive potential.
