A cascade of theatrical backdrops plummeting from the ceiling of the covered courtyard at the pedestrian passageway of Via Mazzini 4 invites visitors to step beyond the gate and unleash their imagination. The immersive installation Play fully embraces the theme “The Stage of Imagination,” constructing a parallel universe made of colour and light.

The flags recall theatre drapery—the element that traditionally separates the stage from its audience. In Play, however, this convention is dismantled. By removing this boundary, the installation becomes a scenography in which actors and spectators merge, sharing the same role. Even the title Play carries a dual meaning: it nods to theatre—play as theatrical work—while also calling to playfulness itself, as to play means “to play” in the sense of “to have fun.”

This playful dimension emerges through the use of simple, evocative shapes and bold symbols such as the circle and the rectangle, vibrant colours, and an unexpected layout. There are no declared rules; instead, the work celebrates a return to childhood, when stories and games were invented from the simplest objects.

The rectangle, the essential form that allows us to build a stable table, possesses corners and boundaries and thus represents solidity, rationality, delimitation. It stands in stark contrast with the circle, a symbol of movement, intuition, the elusive. For the spectator-turned-actor, breaking these patterns may become the key to imagining their own personal stage—without necessarily tipping into chaos. To borrow a line from the Dalai Lama, the installation seems to whisper: “Learn the rules so you know how to break them.”

Play is an installation commissioned by Studio BNC from designer Filippo Emiliani—professor of Graphic Design at the Politecnico delle Arti di Bergamo—for the space at Via Mazzini 4 in lower Bergamo.

Studio BNC — Berta, Nembrini, Colombini & Associati — was born from the merger of Berta Nembrini & Associati and Colombini & Associati, combining over twenty years of experience and distinct specialised skills to offer comprehensive, efficient services in corporate, tax and labour consultancy.

A flexible and dynamic organisation, Studio BNC is committed both to fostering internal growth and valuing its professionals, and to building strategic partnerships with local organisations in order to provide 360-degree consultancy to its clients.

Today, the team includes more than 100 professionals, consultants and staff members, adapting to the diverse and complex needs of its clientele and delivering concrete, value-driven solutions. The firm operates both nationally and internationally.

Studio BNC is a versatile, forward-thinking organisation, strengthened by its recent journey toward sustainability, which includes the creation of a focus team dedicated to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG). This team works to introduce principles and guidelines that integrate environmental, social and governance dimensions into business strategies—both within the firm and for its clients—supporting, among other activities, the preparation of sustainability reports.

Filippo Emiliani (Faenza, 1991) is a Graphic Designer and lecturer in Visual Communication. His artistic practice and research explore the boundaries between text and image. He studied Visual Communication at ISIA Urbino and has worked primarily for institutions and brands in the cultural, fashion and music sectors across Italy, Belgium, Australia and Germany.

He is a tenured professor of Graphic Design at the Politecnico delle Arti di Bergamo. His posters have been exhibited at the Global Biennale of Graphic Design in Moscow (2021 and 2024), the Warsaw Poster Biennale (2021 and 2023), the International Graphic Design Festival in Glasgow (2022 and 2023), and the Shanghai Biennale of Graphic Design (2026).

He has taught courses and held lectures at various academies and universities in Carrara, Verona, Genoa, Kuopio (Finland), Valencia (Spain), Bergen (Norway) and Granada (Spain).

Opera

PLAY

Opera

Location

Client

Designer

PLAY

Studio BNC

Filippo Emiliani

Opera - PLAY