"We need a concentrated global effort that will revise our relationship with the rest of the natural world around us. As utopian as it may sound, it is something that could be achieved to a large extent if humanity implemented the teachings of past cultures, that were in tune with nature, while utilizing the existing scientific knowledge."
More about the studio's research can be found in our book Form Follows Meaning.
Words like ecosystem & ecology are often used nowadays within the business ‘environment’ usually denoting a certain group of similar activities within a system. At first I was taken aback by the use of the terms finding them unfitting within the given context. On second thought though I realised that the etymology of the words justified the terminology. Ecology (οικολογία) is a composite word deriving from οίκος + λόγος meaning referring to (speaking of) the home. So when the word ecosystem is used to speak of a specific business group it refers to that area of business as of a ‘home’ system. This brings us back to the initial meaning of the word and what it really stands for. When we talk about ecology, ecosystems or anything else eco related we are simply talking about our home: planet earth. It’s time we start really caring about our unique home in the cosmos and realise that it is our natural habitat, in the actual sense of the word ecology, that we are talking about.
Read more about this here.
CTRLZAK is a hybrid studio that integrates diverse disciplines and forms of expressions. Founded by artists and designers Katia Meneghini and Thanos Zakopoulos, the studio’s creations are based on extensive research into humanity’s cultural history and the natural world that surrounds us in order to create a meaningful future. Due to its’ interdisciplinary approach CTRLZAK specialises in art direction while creating artworks, objects and spaces but above all points of reflection where form follows meaning. Through the use of semiotic tools within the creative process the studio conceives projects and orchestrates situations that surpass common aesthetic values operating on a deeper cognitive level, aspiring to make people consider their actions and the planet that we live in.
Katia Meneghini has always been passionate about calligraphy and art history, while her contemporary projects develop through relational processes and mechanisms which place emphasis on human interaction. Her approach to art is based on social research with the use of performances, installations and documentation. At the same time she is keen in investigating the possibility of a multi-disciplinary design related to different aspects of social life using the methodologies gained through her social art experiences. More info related to her specific projects can be found at: www.katiameneghini.com
Thanos Zakopoulos is a creator of varied forms and contexts. An artist, a designer and a photographer amongst other things, he likes to bring together different disciplines and situations creating projects which balance between contemporary art & design. He has presented and participated in many exhibitions around the world and has given lectures in various occasions in Europe and China. When not in Milan - where he is based - his research trips take him to strange places sometimes as far as to infinity and beyond. A selection of his more ’personal’ projects can be seen at www.thanoszakopoulos.com