Marcin Rusak Studio – ‘Forum Florum: Herbarium of the Present’

Marcin Rusak Studio presents Forum Florum: Herbarium of the Present at SIAM, an exhibition uniting botanical inquiry and material experimentation in a quest to formulate a new language of aesthetic expression. Debuting a new body of work through a considered presentation that challenges the urgency of the global design events calendar, the show is conceived as an artistic and educational platform, inviting visitors into a timely reflection on nature and culture, biodiversity and sustainability, and the materials that shape contemporary life. Located in the very centre of Milan, SIAM (Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Crafts) is a public educa- tional and cultural institution that brings together diverse creative communities, students, designers, and a broad, culturally engaged audience. In this context, Forum Florum (Latin for the flower market) becomes an open forum for exchange, inviting viewers not only to contemplate and experience Marcin Rusak’s sculptures, installations and new statement pieces, but also deepen their ecological reflection, delving into the immersive narratives he offers. Forum Florum: Herbarium of the Present takes the theme of herbarium as both a conceptual and material point of departure. Traditionally, a herbarium serves as an archive—a way of preserving plant specimens, knowledge, and traces of the natural world. In Marcin Rusak’s interpretation, functional objects and contemporary sculptural works double as memory capsules that, through a curated preservation of plants in custom materials entailing resin and glass, document the status of botany today and transmit contemporary ecological conscience further into the future.