Extended Matter
Zurich, 11 September - 30 November, 202
Native Matter explored the relationship between form, territory, and identity in contemporary design. Through a selection of works, the exhibition examined how memory, materiality, and cultural heritage were embedded in objects and the narratives they carried.
Expanding on the curatorial approach introduced with native matter at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, this new chapter deepens the exploration of material, process, and narrative in contemporary design. Through a constellation of works by designers based in Mexico and Switzerland, Extended Matter examines how makers engage with craft and materiality to create forms rooted in tradition yet forward-looking in intent. Each piece carries a layered story—linking ancestral knowledge with contemporary practice, and the intimacy of the hand with the innovation of new techniques.
Alongside Anthracite’s curatorial framework Land Escapes, the exhibition enters into dialogue with Anthracite’s parallel program—together offering audiences complementary perspectives on landscape, materiality, and contemporary practice.
The exhibition presents works by: Alejandra Perini, Ayres, Comité de Proyectos, Federico Stefanovich, José Bermúdez, Juri Roemmel, Kevin Dizami, Peca, Noelani Rutz, Sebastián Ángeles, Siete Studio, Studio Eidola, and Studio H. Fernández.
As part of Zurich Design Weeks 2025, Basalto Collective teamed up with D:STIGMO to celebrate the launch of the independent editorial platform. On Thursday, September 11, 2025, Basalto Collective hosted the magazine’s official debut with the release of its inaugural issue, Trial and Error.
D:STIGMO X Basalto Collective presented: Issue No. 1: Trial and Error as part of Zurich Design Weeks
Trial and Error, the first issue of D:STIGMO, unfolded in dialogue with Extended Matter, tracing creativity through experimentation, mistakes, and the evolution of ideas. An independent magazine shaped through its own making, D:STIGMO adopted an open, nonlinear, and circular process, with the voices of 43 contributors — expressed through essays, sketches, and photographs — enriching and expanding its narrative.
Together, Basalto Collective and D:STIGMO invited audiences to experience design not as a fixed outcome, but as a conversation in motion — where ideas, techniques, and identities continually evolved.-
native matter
at Design / Dialogue by Ark Journal – 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, 18–20 June, 2025
Native Matter explored the relationship between form, territory, and identity in contemporary design. Through a selection of works, the exhibition examined how memory, materiality, and cultural heritage were embedded in objects and the narratives they carried.
Each piece highlighted the concept of origin, interpreted both geographically and through its production method. Drawing on ancestral knowledge and contemporary techniques, the works traced the evolution of traditional practices into present-day expressions of utility and form. Native Matter provided insight into a design culture shaped by craft, materiality, evolving techniques, and conceptual depth—grounded in narrative and cultural reflection.
echoes - Bridging tradition and contemporary design
at Zurich Design Weeks, Zurich,
18-29 September, 2024
Basalto Collective made its debut at Zürich Design Weeks with the exhibition echoes (September 18–29, 2024) in partnership with DT22. The show brought together Mexican and Swiss designers, blending traditions of craftsmanship with contemporary approaches.
Featuring over twenty works by studios such as Comité de Proyectos, Studio H. Fernández, Hot Wire Extensions, Ramona Gschwend, and more the exhibition highlighted shared values of precision and cultural heritage. Special guest Andrés Anza, winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2024, presented his ceramic works in his first Swiss exhibition.
echoes also hosted a series of talks that fostered dialogue between art, design, and craftsmanship, set within the villa’s evocative architecture.