7+1 Acts of Survival Exhibition at THE LINE Gallery in Milan

Seven designers, one stone block, and 2.5 billion years of geological time. During Milan Design Week 2026, 7+1 Acts of Survival brings together seven international designers to explore a fundamental question: what allows things to survive through time?

The exhibition features works by Kengo Kuma / KKAA, Marcio Kogan, Diana Radomysler and Pedro Ribeiro / Studio MK27, Bernard Khoury / DW5, Claudio Silvestrin, Ugo Cacciatori, Elias and Yousef Anastas / AAU Anastas, Francesco Librizzi / Francesco Librizzi Studio and Riccardo Robustini / Breath Design.

The works are presented within a linear exhibition environment extending approximately 30 metres, where the pieces unfold sequentially, establishing a dialogue between material, form and movement.

Conceived by Francesco Librizzi and Riccardo Robustini, 7 + 1 Acts of Survival marks the inaugural public activation of THE LINE gallery and the first articulation of an ongoing curatorial framework. Developed as a long-term research trajectory, the project is structured through three interconnected phases – Memory, Survival, and the Archaeology of the Future – investigating how materials, objects, and ideas persist, transform, and reappear across time.

 

Stone, formed over more than two billion years of geological time, becomes the central reference for this inquiry. Each work originates from an identical block of black African stone, establishing a shared condition from which distinct responses emerge. Through acts of subtraction, transformation, and tension, the works explore the relationship between material, form, and time, positioning themselves between sculpture, architecture, and design.

The production of all works is supported by Casone Group, a company specialised in bespoke marble design and architecture, acting as production partner and patron. Casone Group supplies the stone blocks, contributes its technical expertise to the fabrication of the works, and realised the stone flooring of the exhibition space.
The lighting design is curated by PSLab, whose site-specific intervention interprets the essential nature of the space; through a discreet and holistic approach, it creates an experience of revelation and interpretation of the exhibited works, highlighting the curatorial rhythm and the identity of each individual piece.