Radiation is invisible, scentless, and omnipresent—permeating air, earth, and living beings. It is both a natural phenomenon and a byproduct of human activity, with consequences that unfold over generations. Sometimes caricatured in science fiction, its real effects are far from fictional. The Mutazioni series for NODUS transforms this invisible reality into tangible, meticulously crafted pieces—an ongoing exploration of the delicate boundary between beauty and destruction, evolution and mutation.
The first chapter, Mutazioni 1.0 (2013), imagined the consequences of nuclear disasters through the lens of entomology. Inspired by historical scientific illustrations, Lanzavecchia + Wai designed two fictitious insects—Amaurodes Chernobilis, a mutated beetle, and Tacua Fukushimae, a deformed cicada—evoking the disasters of Chernobyl and Fukushima. These creatures, seemingly normal at first glance, reveal asymmetries and imperfections upon closer inspection, their mutations set against a grid inspired by the Golden Ratio. The result is a hauntingly beautiful paradox: nature’s perfect design, altered irreversibly by human intervention.
With Mutazioni 2.0 (2015), the exploration moved to the Land of Fires, an area in southern Italy plagued by toxic and radioactive waste. Here, mutations are not born of sudden catastrophes but of slow, relentless contamination. Two new creatures emerged from this poisoned landscape: Salamandra Ardentis Agri and Trithemis Ardentis Agri, a salamander and a dragonfly subtly altered by environmental toxins. Once again, the background’s rigid grid serves as a reference point, emphasizing the distortions of these seemingly ordinary beings. Attraction and repulsion intertwine as the carpets transform an unsettling reality into an exquisite artifact—craftsmanship as a means to give form to the invisible.
A decade after the first Mutazioni piece, Mutazioni 3.0 (2023) introduces Colomychus Chernobilis, a moth imagined as a product of radiation-induced genetic mutations. Inspired by the poetic scientific illustrations of Cornelia Hesse-Honegger, this hand-knotted carpet, made in Nepal from wool and bamboo silk, pays tribute to Ukraine—first a land marked by nuclear catastrophe, now devastated by war. Like entomologists in the Radioactive Red Forest, we document changes beyond our comprehension, observing with both awe and unease. Once again, the “spot the differences” game invites us to reflect: in nature, evolution favors what is functionally perfect, but what happens when the mutations are man-made?
Through fine artisan craftsmanship, the Mutazioni series tells a bittersweet tale of fragility, transformation, and the unintended consequences of human progress. A vision both captivating and unsettling, where beauty serves as a messenger of uncomfortable truths.
