La Materia Ri-Nata - Eco Ri-Uso - Trash "Global" Metropolis

An exhibition that breathes new life into waste

In the heart of the Ostiense district, just a stone's throw from the Pyramid of Cestius and the Gazometro, the GARD Galleria Arte Roma Design hosts "La Materia Ri-Nata - Eco Ri-Uso - Trash "Global" Metropolis", one of the most iconic exhibitions on the Roman art scene dedicated to creative recycling. Born in 1997 as a cultural exhibition project, the event has spanned over twenty editions, involving hundreds of artists and becoming a true flagship for the gallery.

The philosophy of the exhibition is simple yet powerful: to give new life and dignity to waste materials and discarded objects, generally considered "trash". Under the artists' hands, what would otherwise be thrown away is transformed into art, storytelling, and poetic protest.

The theme: recycling, reuse, and urban decay

The title weaves together two complementary souls. On one hand, Eco Ri-Uso, which celebrates regenerated matter and environmental sustainability; on the other, Trash "Global" Metropolis, which turns the spotlight on urban decay and the accumulation of waste in the planet's great metropolises. The exhibited works thus become a tool for awareness: they invite visitors to question consumption, waste, and respect for the Earth.

The artists and the works

The collective exhibition brings together different languages and styles—painting, sculpture, installation, and assembly of reclaimed materials—united by a passion for experimenting with matter. Each artist offers a rigorous selection of works designed to stimulate reflection on recycling and reuse.

GARD and the Soqquadro Association

Since 1997, GARD has occupied a multifunctional space of approximately 600 square meters in a former industrial area linked to Rome's ancient river port, dedicated to art, design, and cultural events. The exhibition is curated and promoted as part of the activities of the Soqquadro Cultural Association, an organization that has been staging exhibitions in Italy and abroad for over twenty years, collaborating with hundreds of artists including painters, sculptors, photographers, video artists, performers, and designers.

Rome and the Lazio region

The event is part of the rich exhibition calendar of the Municipality of Rome, capital of the Lazio region, and specifically within the creative ferment of the Ostiense district, now one of the city's most vibrant hubs for contemporary art thanks to the proximity of landmarks like the Centrale Montemartini and the Non-Catholic Cemetery. An ideal setting for an event that combines art, ecology, and civic engagement.