In 2014, Solaris was born as a participatory artistic installation that invited children to become the architects of their own city. Using leftover materials from local carpentry workshops, we created a space where imagination, craftsmanship, and play came together to build an ever-evolving urban landscape.
By collecting discarded wooden pieces—each with its own shape, history, and texture—we provided children with the tools to design and construct a city with their own hands. The installation was not just about building structures; it was about reclaiming the creative instinct of childhood, about learning through play, and about rethinking the role of children in shaping their environment.
As a conceptual foundation, Solaris embraced the idea that:
«Technology has provided children an instant enjoyment but has cornered the germ of childhood creation, the game. The one that will develop his talent for the rest of his life.
Phones, video games, and television are hiding the freedom of the game. Creativity born from the game that, with its different and personal ways, is fostered when the senses and the talent are exercised. The game is the best way to find a personal and unique line.
Children have seen their cities anesthetizing and directing them to a passive attitude. Cornered in their homes, living within the limits imposed by a comfortable technology, by a city that is an enemy of its development.
The city needs children and children need their city. We do not want our children to grow anesthetized with these limits, we have to give them the playing tools to break them.»
Solaris was not just an installation—it was an act of resistance. A way of reminding society that cities should be spaces of exploration and expression for children, not just rigid structures designed for adults. Through this project, we sought to reconnect children with the physical world, with craftsmanship, and with the joy of building something real, something that belongs to them.
By transforming discarded materials into a shared dream, Solaris proved that play is not only a game—it is a tool for reclaiming the city and, ultimately, for reclaiming childhood itself.
In 2014, Solaris was born as a participatory artistic installation that invited children to become the architects of their own city. Using leftover materials from local carpentry workshops, we created a space where imagination, craftsmanship, and play came together to build an ever-evolving urban landscape.
By collecting discarded wooden pieces—each with its own shape, history, and texture—we provided children with the tools to design and construct a city with their own hands. The installation was not just about building structures; it was about reclaiming the creative instinct of childhood, about learning through play, and about rethinking the role of children in shaping their environment.
As a conceptual foundation, Solaris embraced the idea that:
«Technology has provided children an instant enjoyment but has cornered the germ of childhood creation, the game. The one that will develop his talent for the rest of his life.
Phones, video games, and television are hiding the freedom of the game. Creativity born from the game that, with its different and personal ways, is fostered when the senses and the talent are exercised. The game is the best way to find a personal and unique line.
Children have seen their cities anesthetizing and directing them to a passive attitude. Cornered in their homes, living within the limits imposed by a comfortable technology, by a city that is an enemy of its development.
The city needs children and children need their city. We do not want our children to grow anesthetized with these limits, we have to give them the playing tools to break them.»
Solaris was not just an installation—it was an act of resistance. A way of reminding society that cities should be spaces of exploration and expression for children, not just rigid structures designed for adults. Through this project, we sought to reconnect children with the physical world, with craftsmanship, and with the joy of building something real, something that belongs to them.
By transforming discarded materials into a shared dream, Solaris proved that play is not only a game—it is a tool for reclaiming the city and, ultimately, for reclaiming childhood itself.