MARMOMAC BEST COMMUNICATOR AWARD 2025

​THE ART OF MAURIZIO CATTELAN AND YURI ANCARANI, (above) THE DESIGN VISION OF HANNES PEER, AND THE CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION OF PAOLO STELLA HONORED IN THE NEW SECTION OF THE MARMOMAC BEST COMMUNICATOR AWARD IN COLLABORATION WITH FORBES.

In the Exhibitors section, companies I Conci, DDchem, and Verzu won respectively in the Natural Stone, Technology, and Visions categories. A Special Mention by IUSVE – awarded by the Exhibition Design class of the Salesian University Institute of Venice – went to Furrer. Presenting the awards were Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, and Adolfo Rebughini, General Manager of Veronafiere.

The stage of The Plus Theatre hosted today the award ceremony for the 17th edition of the Marmomac Best Communicator Award, which this year inaugurated a new collaboration with Forbes. The partnership extends the recognition not only to the best exhibitors at the fair but also to leading cultural figures – both Italian and international – who in 2025 have successfully communicated marble and natural stone to a broad and diverse audience through their projects.

Heading the trio of honorees in the new “Forbes Selection” section is Maurizio Cattelan. The eclectic and provocative artist presented, within his exhibition Seasons (on view in Bergamo until 26 October), two works entirely made of Carrara marble. “His works are not only a moment of reflection on the cyclical nature of life and history, on the transformations of the individual and society, but also the result of an extraordinary synergy between artistic intuition and advanced robotic technology, capable of generating strong communicative and symbolic impact,” reads the jury’s statement. The jury included Silvia Nani, design editor of Corriere della Sera, Manuela Mimosa Ravasio of La Repubblica, Alessandro Mauro Rossi, editor-in-chief of Forbes Italia, and Aurelio Chinellato, professor of Exhibition Design at IUSVE.

Cattelan, not present in person, sent instead a recording of his own voice paired with a replica of his head, sculpted for the occasion by Litix, a leader in robotic sculpture and exhibitor at Marmomac: “Since I couldn’t be there in person, I decided to send my head sculpted by a robot. It seemed the most convenient way to be present without risking too long a speech.”

The award for design went to Hannes Peer, the South Tyrolean architect, for his installation Crash – presented with Margraf at the 2025 Salone del Mobile – praised for being “capable of shifting the role of natural stone from purely decorative to a dynamic narrative element, evoking fragility, impact, and transformation.” Described by Il Sole 24 Ore as “the architect who teaches us to un-align our gaze,” Peer collected the award in person, emphasizing his deep connection with marble: “They called me the apostle of marble. With this project I wanted to make stone dynamic. I transformed surfaces, turned them into wallpaper, experimenting with its three-dimensionality.”
For Paolo Stella, lifestyle influencer and creative director of @suonarestella, this was his debut at the event: “For me, marble is the material of choice. Through my projects, I enjoyed using design to respond to some of my obsessions related to home décor. For a natural stone enthusiast, being at a fair like this is like a child in a playground. This is my first time at Marmomac, but certainly not my last.” In 2025, Stella launched the furniture lines COM|PLE|MEN|TARE and POR|TAN|TE. “By employing a wide variety of natural stones, he gave the material a daily yet elegant dimension, interpreting its versatility in an authentically personal way.”

A special anniversary mention was awarded to Yuri Ancarani, the only honoree recognized for a work created 15 years ago but still resonating globally in the art world. Presented at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, his short film Il Capo – shot entirely in the Gemeg quarries – “powerfully and poetically captured the essence of quarry work, highlighting the human, material, and identity dimension of marble and those who extract it.” For the 2025 edition, Marmomac dedicated a daily screening of Il Capo at The Plus Theatre. “I am convinced that art remains the most advanced language of communication. That makes me even prouder of this recognition, which – together with the daily projection of my short film – has truly celebrated the meaning of the work we all carry forward,” commented Ancarani.

In the Exhibitors section, selecting the winners was no easy task. The jury examined more than 80 exhibitors, shortlisted to 15 finalists across the Vision, Technology, and Natural Stone categories. Among them, Verzu, DDChem, and I Conci stood out for narrative coherence, audience engagement, and visual storytelling quality, earning the award in their respective categories.

Finally, the IUSVE Special Mention was awarded to Furrer for “the ability to combine – with elegance and innovation – physical, tactile, interactive, and visual completeness within its display, creating a multisensory experience that narrated both product and brand identity.”