Since 2014, Terraforma has intertwined experimental music with ecological consciousness, fostering life's potential through the creation of ‘an atmosphere’. Now, bidding farewell to its typical 3-day festival structure, Terraforma introduces Terraforma Exo, marking a transformative milestone. Founder Ruggero Pietromarchi expresses a desire to explore new formats that reignite the original passion. ‘We do not merely wish to reminisce, we yearn to experience it anew’, he states as our conversation about the transformation takes off.
Terraforma as a festival has evolved organically over the past years, always operating close to the notion of modifying spaces and bodies to a more habitable atmosphere. ‘Terraforming’ embodies the concept of creating an ‘atmosphere’; a theoretical process that renders life viable on a planet. The concept developed as a three-day immersive festival, serving as a timeless nexus of energy, where music acts as a catalyst, suspending perceptions and ushering in new dimensions.
Located amidst the woods of Villa Arconati near Milan, Terraforma has celebrated the fusion of art and life, inviting artists to bridge the gap between human existence and natural rhythms. Through music, attendees reconnect with their innate frequencies, harmonising with the surrounding environment and embracing a deeper resonance with nature.
Terraforma: A decade of challenging the status quo
It all started when the founders envisioned ‘five thousand people dancing together outside a beautiful villa, listening to the music they love’; quite a challenging task as the team highlights Italy’s ‘heavily commercialised music industry’. That’s why since its inaugural edition in 2014, they have increasingly developed the festival as a community space and as a practice of spatial regeneration, evolving into the starting point of their sustainability programme at the park Villa Arconati. There was a deeper meaning to the project than the music industry standards lived up to.
The festival took the challenge in 2016 to restore the park, which is now fully recovered and bursting with beauty. When reflecting on their initial goal and vision, co-founders proudly emphasise: ‘The fact that an experimental music festival could catalyse and contribute to a recovery plan for a national historical monument is a significant achievement.'
‘We aspire to evolve, to terraform new dimensions while transforming ourselves’
Persevering niche throughout growth
Amidst this evolution, there's been a keen focus on giving voice and dignity to emerging artists, navigating the delicate balance between experimentation and market systematics. When reflecting on the challenges of creating such a cutting-edge project, particularly in Italy, founders explain how there has been a lot of learning from a cultural entrepreneurship point of view: ‘Starting with a creative idea doesn’t often come with a business plan; and times aren’t easy in Europe for young entrepreneurs, especially in the cultural field and particularly in Italy where there is very little funding for experimental music, unfortunately.' Amid the challenges, they learned how ‘striking a balance between experimentation and a cultural milieu that often hesitates to take risks is tough, yet achievable’. As the festival ventures into new territories, this commitment remains steadfast, ensuring that artistic integrity thrives alongside innovation and risk-taking.
The festival's legacy is immortalised and preserved through a treasure trove of archival images, videos, and sound recordings, vividly capturing its experimental spirit. Each registration radiates warmth, evoking the essence of the event through the faces and sounds captured and the vibrant array of shapes, colours, and formats, distinctly embodying its experimental vein.
Terraforma Exo: Venturing into the interpsychic
Once one dives deep into the intricacies of Terraforma’s essence, the change into a new and more complex format will not come as a surprise. The festival has always embraced change, both conceptually and structurally, yet, never relied on chance. ‘We never operate on chance; everything we do is deliberate, thoroughly discussed, and deeply believed; we act out of passion and create with purpose.'
The inaugural edition of Exo represents an experimental and stirring new venture: ‘Our objective is to explore the ecosystem of Parco Sempione, Milan's central park, and its diverse landscapes through various sound practices.' The curated programme will encompass live performances, installations, sound walks, and panel discussions featuring prominent figures in the fields of sound and ecology. Emphasising the ecological dimension of sound, the programme recognises its capacity to creatively interpret and transform space, and foster new forms of coexistence. Initial programme announcements have hinted at this ambition, covering collaborations with Obscure Records for the David Toop intervention and Gatto Verde - a notable Milanese club night.
Terraforma Exo: Venturing into the interpsychic
Once one dives deep into the intricacies of Terraforma’s essence, the change into a new and more complex format will not come as a surprise. The festival has always embraced change, both conceptually and structurally, yet, never relied on chance. ‘We never operate on chance; everything we do is deliberate, thoroughly discussed, and deeply believed; we act out of passion and create with purpose.'
The inaugural edition of Exo represents an experimental and stirring new venture: ‘Our objective is to explore the ecosystem of Parco Sempione, Milan's central park, and its diverse landscapes through various sound practices.' The curated programme will encompass live performances, installations, sound walks, and panel discussions featuring prominent figures in the fields of sound and ecology. Emphasising the ecological dimension of sound, the programme recognises its capacity to creatively interpret and transform space, and foster new forms of coexistence. Initial programme announcements have hinted at this ambition, covering collaborations with Obscure Records for the David Toop intervention and Gatto Verde - a notable Milanese club night.
Now settled in the urban environment of Milan, Terraforma Exo continues to carry sustainability at its core, dealing with ecology in a different, certainly more research-oriented approach. They are exploring a new aspect within the sonic dimension. One that could be seen as the ‘interpsychic’. Through this lens, 'sound' is viewed as a space of relationship, and therefore the ‘acoustic ecology’ of an environment. It is this ecological dimension of sound that Terraforma Exo wishes to delve into ‘as it is capable of transforming and creatively interpreting models of coexistence’. Models that clearly go beyond the 3-day festival format.
Terraforma Exo is complemented by a new and thought-provoking programme called The Radical School; and again as an inaugural episode, ‘it will be an experiment’. The programme will run in collaboration with the AA - Architecture School in London, through the Milanese architectural studio Space Caviar. It will involve a small number of students camping in the Park of Villa Arconati. The co-founder explained how there won’t be a specific theme or target for the programme, rather, an experience of critical thinking: ‘I understand that critique doesn't sound promising, but I strongly believe that what is missing right now is the capacity to question the status quo.' This synergy extends to architecture, where notions of avant-garde learning encourage exploration and experimentation in shaping environments, echoing Terraforma's commitment to redefining spatial dynamics and cultural landscapes.
'Striking a balance between experiment and a risk-avoiding cultural milieu is tough, yet achievable'
Embracing the flux: a never-ending learning experience
On the verge of Terraforma's bold transition towards Terraforma Exo, questions as well as expectations arise. However, any attentive eye will see that Terraforma has always been more than a festival. There has always been a ‘commitment to pushing boundaries and educating its audience on new dimensions of sonic exploration and ecological consciousness’, as indicated by its co-founders. Exo follows a decade-long commitment to the exploration of the ‘interpsychic’, unfolding how sound influences and interacts with the inner experiences or psychological states of individuals within a shared environment.
In light of this, such a change can be perceived as an intuitive and somehow foreseen development of the project, given the ongoing research on the interconnectedness of sound and human perception. On this quest towards expansion into new spaces, the team allows for new atmospheres to be contemplated and terraformation to continue.
Terraforma Exo takes place June 15 - 16 at Parco Sempione Milano, Italy.
