Margherita Soldati (1991, IT/NL) is an artist with a strong curiosity in tactile perception at the intersection of art and cognitive science, supported by material research with a focus on the creation of patterns and textures.

She is intrigued by how materials stand in relation to our bodies and influence our behavior. In a world full of stimuli, what triggers her fascination is zooming inward to understand the implications with the human body: viewing our senses as the interface that allow exchanges between the outside and the inside. 

In a society that relies mainly on sight, she wants to make possible to ‘see’ with other senses: in her practice, tactility is the medium through which she communicate and in her works, she often explores the tactile perception to create a more intimate and interactive relationship between the space, the work and the visitors. 

Her work wants to generate awareness of the fact that our body is a lively sensory system that interacts with the world to produce a personalized habitat. Margherita envisions the body as a platform that produces experiences. To show this vision she researches specific materials and textures which could give the right sensorial effect and work them into new objects, structures, surfaces that can be applied on small scale objects or can alter standard architectural elements.

The fascination for making works that explore the tactile perception comes from the belief that the body is the house of our memory and identity and that all human senses, including vision, are the extension of the sense of touch.

Portrait by Anne Lakeman

Exhibitions

2023
Looking Fingers at Kunsthalle Lottozero, Prato
2022
The Body Keeps the Score at KunstenLab, Deventer
Repairing Memories at Ateliers ‘ 89 Punto di Beyas Arte, Aruba
2021
Invisible Traces for You Keep Me under no Smell at Venice Art Projects with Curatela Placebo, Venice
Invisible Traces (publication format) at Rea Arte Fair with Curatela Placebo, Milan
Returning in collaboration with Cooloo for Masterly – the Dutch in Milan at Palazzo Francesco Turati during Salone del Mobile, Milan
In the Maak / Bijenkorf & Room on the Roof representing TextileLab Amsterdam at several location in the Nederland
Fantastic Plastic at New Tretyakov Gallery of Moscow Design Museum
2020
Fantastic Plastic at New Tretyakov Gallery of  Moscow Design Museum
Skin Hunger Neo Futurist Breakfast at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
2019
Growing Surface for Dead Darling #12 in collaboration with Current Obsession, Amsterdam
Uncomfortable (sample) at Fisher Fine Arts Library Material Collection University of Pennsylvania
The Beauty Dinner Neo Futurist Dinner at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
ENDLESS LIFE at Doornburgh, Maarssen
Parksessies Kunst at Haarlemmerhout, Haarlem
Feeling MySelf at Bankitò organized by Buro Imaginaire, Hungary 
Rethinking Plastic at Yksi Expo organized by Searious Business and Dutch Design Foundation, Eindhoven
VERS Kunstweekend at BergardeGaleries, Heerjansdam
Absurd Beings on Skin at KunstKapel, Amsterdam
‘What a Waste’ at Ateliers’ 89 in Oranjestad, Aruba
‘Naakt of Bloot’ at Museum Jan Cunen, Oss
Object Rotterdam at Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2018
Museum Nacht Amsterdam Blind at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
Het Parfum at Mediamatic Gallery with Scents Apparatus, Amsterdam
Graduation Show Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
ButzeBad at Schau Fenster Gallery, Berlin
2017
Fashion Clash, Textile Lab of Waag Society, Maastricht
UnCut “What is happening to our Brain?” at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Absurd Being Independent Exhibition at CC ‘t Fijnhout, Amsterdam
2016
Odorama at Mediamatic Gallery, Amsterdam
What Design Can Do 2016 with the Public Prosecution Office, Amsterdam
Forces for Architecture at Benthem Crouwel Architects/Jólan van der Wiel
2015
NPSA International Neuropsychoanalysis Congress 2015, Amsterdam
LockBox of Bookstore Foundation, Amsterdam
2014
NPSA Internationa Neuropsychoanalysis Congress 2014, New York
2013
SUN.LAB 2013 at Fiera Rimini, Rimini 

Workshops & Lectures

2022
Repairing Memories, Ateliers ’89 Punto di Beyas Arte, Aruba
Re-use Textile waste (2), Masterclass at TextielMuseum, Tilburg
2021
Re-use Textile waste, Masterclass at TextielMuseum, Tilburg
Tangible Memories, online workshop hosted by Unbore Collective
2020
Sculpting Textile, workshop at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
2019
Plastic Waste workshop at Makersbase Nieuwe Veste, Breda
Nederland Leest Maker Meetup on sustainability artist talk at Makersbase, Breda
Sculpting Textile, workshop at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
MuseumCamp 2019 at Muiderslot (Muiden) organized by Allard Pierson, Waag & NEMO
BarTalk#16 Sensory Ecologies, Den Haag
‘What did you touch today?’ at Mediamatic, Amsterdam
PILLS with Davide Tomatis at Instituto d’Arte Applicata e Design, Turin
Fabric Manipulation Workshop at DIY Textile School, Amsterdam
‘What a Waste’ Workshop at Ateliers’ 89, Oranjestad Aruba
2018
Fabric Manipulation Workshop at DIY Textile School, Amsterdam
2017
(Ir)Relevant Matter Bio talk at Mediamatic Gallery, Amsterdam
2016
Odorama Talk at Mediamatic Gallery, Amsterdam
Hacking Source at Source Self Made Design, Florence

Commissions

2019
Death Beauty Salon at Mediamatic for Museum Night, Amsterdam
ENDLESS LIFE at Doornburgh, Maarssen

Awards/Nomination

2022
Building Talent program from Creative Industry Fund
Talent Development from Stimulerings Fonds
3Package Deal Art Bio Design coalition with Amsterdam Funds voor de Kunst

Art Residency

2023 Lottozero, Prato Italy
2022 Ateliers’ 89 Punto di Beyas Arte, Oranjestad Aruba
2019 Ateliers’ 89 Art Residency, Oranjestad Aruba

Education

2015-2018  Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Bachelor of Art and Design, Amsterdam
2011-2014  IAAD, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, Turin

Sideline Activities

04.2022 – present
Art Mentor for the Better Factory project and the European Voyext project
04.2020 – present
Advisory Board member at Unbore – arts, life sciences and technology
01.2020 – 03.2022
Mentor at Fabricademy and concept developer at Textile Lab Amsterdam
02.2017 – present
Co-founder at art curatorial collective Absurd Beings
09.2020 – 01.2021
Teacher at DesignLab Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
09.2018 – 04.2021
Art Teacher DIY Textile School, Amsterdam
03.2017 – 08.2018
Co-founder of Cultureel Centrum ‘t Fijnhout, Amsterdam
09.2014 – 06.2015
Assistant Officina Corpuscoli/Maurizio Montalti