Margherita Rui’s Symbolic Clay Installation Transforms Teatro dei Ragazzi in Torino.

For the 2025 edition of the Nitto ATP Finals in Torino, designer and creative director Margherita Rui has created I Portali di Gea, an evocative installation that transforms the foyer of Teatro dei Ragazzi e dei Giovani di Torino into a space of contemplation and ritual.

Part of the Tennis Family House—a hospitality venue for ATP’s international guests—the installation responds to the curatorial vision of Giorgio Galotti and Claudia Pignatale, whose theme Whisperers celebrates Turin’s identity as Italy’s “Magical City.” As Pignatale explains, the project aims to “bring the world of sport closer to contemporary art and design,” creating unexpected dialogues between disciplines through creativity and emotion.

Rui’s response is a path of archetypal symbols that honours Gea, the primordial mother of Greek mythology. Rather than depicting her figure directly, the installation evokes her presence through concentric circles representing origin and vital breath, alongside vertical lines and organic patterns that suggest growth and continuity.

The centrepiece is a large-scale mural composed of Ninefifty clay tiles, featuring a modular interlocking structure patented by Incalmi. This considered approach allows the work to be disassembled and reused, reflecting a sustainable and circular philosophy. The earthy palette, calibrated in terracotta, ochre and umber, speaks to the tactile dimension of living matter.

Visitors are guided through the space by floating vertical veils mounted on lava stone bases, each decorated with three-dimensional embroidery and material brushstrokes. A Besana carpet featuring esoteric symbols runs underfoot, creating a visual rhythm that transforms the typical experience of waiting into something more contemplative.

The installation synthesises Rui’s multidisciplinary background, from her studies at Politecnico di Milano and Fabrica to her role as co-founder of Dogtrot studio. Her work here explores how contemporary design can channel ancient symbolism, creating spaces that feel both timeless and of the moment.

Graphic Graffiti: Alfabeto Tile Collection by Margherita Rui for Ninefifty.

This handcrafted terracotta and lava stone tile collection is an anthology of signs conceived to create continuous patterns with the 19 designs made up of converging lines, transforming surfaces into endless graphic compositions.

[Images courtesy of Margherita Rui. Photography by Serena Eller.]