IMMAGINARIA: a green (or better – iGreen!) fairy tale

A project of public and participatory art, with experiences of social design for urban regeneration. Venaria Torinese is a renowned Italian town, known for boasting the presence of one of the best known and most important palaces in Italy, and for knowingly continuing the tradition of beauty in the name of sustainability. All this while creating a modern Christmas fairy tale atmosphere, which involved the entire Venaria Reale, with the participation of iGreen Gadgets for the creation of Seaqual Bags and customized Sprout® Pencils.

Immaginaria – The Christmas fairy tale created by children and thought for the city

Venaria Reale is not only famous for its palace, or Reggia, but also for its symbol animal, the doe. It is an animal known for its elegance, but also for its secrecy, and it is therefore perfect to embody the sophisticated Piedmont’s understatement. With Immaginaria, this animal has become the protagonist of a Christmas story, “Regina, la Cerva” (“Regina, the Doe”), created in collaboration with the children of Venaria, and screened every evening in Venaria, in Piazza della Repubblica.

The children created a story that combines sustainability and tradition, and this is particularly significant, as this was the idea that was also the basis of the whole Immaginaria project. Thanks to this project locals and tourists were able to enjoy the city of Venaria Reale – already a beloved destination – further enriched with a video mapping project, with images projected on the facades of the buildings, on the streets and in the town squares. Themed light installations have also been implemented, as well as the outdoor illustration exhibition “Cerve Regine”, and, most importantly, with a solidarity collection created by children and aimed for children.

Seaqual Bags supporting the solidarity collection of Immaginaria

The Immaginaria project included the collaboration with iGreen Gadgets which, thanks to the customization service that they have always offered to their customers, enabled the creation of two ad hoc gadgets. The Sprout® Pencil, the original pencil that can be planted in soil, and it grows thanks to the built-in capsule with seeds, and the Seaqual® Bags, created with SEAQUAL® YARN, a 100% sustainable fabric made with plastic waste recovered from the sea.

The Seaqual Bags, in particular, contributed to a solidarity fundraiser in favor of the Extended Sub-Intensive Early Childhood Care Unit (Reparto Subintensiva Allargata Prima Infanzia, SAPI) of the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin. The proceeds from the sale of each bag were in fact destined for the purchase of medical equipment.

Enhancing the environment in many different ways

Whether it’s by decorating your desk with a plant sprouted by planting a pencil, by making sure that an entire city becomes the setting for an environmentally friendly fairy tale, or by involving the locals in projects of environmental protection, everyone can contribute to the spread of a greener mindset. And it is also important to note how design is boosting the dissemination of projects in the name of sustainability.

From a small and common object to a fashionable accessory, we can demonstrate through urban design how the concepts of beauty, functionality and responsibility are consistently tied together and equally important in promoting sustainability.