"We need a concentrated global effort that will revise our relationship with the rest of the natural world around us. As utopian as it may sound, it is something that could be achieved to a large extent if humanity implemented the teachings of past cultures, that were in tune with nature, while utilizing the existing scientific knowledge."
More about the studio's research can be found in our book Form Follows Meaning.
Words like ecosystem & ecology are often used nowadays within the business ‘environment’ usually denoting a certain group of similar activities within a system. At first I was taken aback by the use of the terms finding them unfitting within the given context. On second thought though I realised that the etymology of the words justified the terminology. Ecology (οικολογία) is a composite word deriving from οίκος + λόγος meaning referring to (speaking of) the home. So when the word ecosystem is used to speak of a specific business group it refers to that area of business as of a ‘home’ system. This brings us back to the initial meaning of the word and what it really stands for. When we talk about ecology, ecosystems or anything else eco related we are simply talking about our home: planet earth. It’s time we start really caring about our unique home in the cosmos and realise that it is our natural habitat, in the actual sense of the word ecology, that we are talking about.
Read more about this here.
CTRLZAK is a hybrid studio that integrates diverse disciplines and forms of expressions. Founded by artists and designers Katia Meneghini and Thanos Zakopoulos, the studio’s creations are based on extensive research into humanity’s cultural history and the natural world that surrounds us in order to create a meaningful future. Due to its’ interdisciplinary approach CTRLZAK specialises in art direction while creating artworks, objects and spaces but above all points of reflection where form follows meaning. Through the use of semiotic tools within the creative process the studio conceives projects and orchestrates situations that surpass common aesthetic values operating on a deeper cognitive level, aspiring to make people consider their actions and the planet that we live in.
Thanos Zakopoulos is the creative director of the studio and likes to think himself as a creative naturalist (whatever that is). He orchestrates and makes research projects that balance between contemporary art & design making people reflect upon their actions and the world we live in. A keen observer of the natural world that surrounds us, he is interested in transcending the limits of conventional anthropocentric perception bringing together the fields of art, science & philosophy. He has participated in numerous exhibitions around the world and has given lectures on various occasions in Europe and China. He is also a professor at NABA university, where he discusses the relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world. More info on thanoszakopoulos.com
Katia Meneghini is a creative consultant working on events and innovative realities with particular attention to sustainable development. She has always been interested in social and relational mechanisms and has collaborated in the past with the Pistoletto Foundation in Biella. She is passionate about tango, digital content creation and communication. In 2019 her love for vintage fashion led her to create, along with Virginia Tardella, Remira Market an alternative format of reuse, resell and conviviality. More info on remiramarket.com