Category: Events

Master LuDe AANT: Light Takes Shape in a Workshop with DGA

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Master

Light takes center stage in a hands-on experience of experimentation and design at AANT’s Master LuDe – Lighting Design. On Friday, October 2, students took part in a workshop in collaboration with DGA, a Florence-based company specializing in the production of miniature lighting fixtures, exploring firsthand the expressive potential of light and its ability to transform spaces, surfaces, and objects.

The activity was part of the Master’s third module, dedicated to Retail Design, within the workshop Visual Design – Lighting Window Displays, led by Professor Alessandra Reggiani, Director of the Master’s program.

An opportunity to move from theory to practice and directly experience the expressive power of light. Guided by two architects from DGA, students explored how different lighting solutions can transform the perception of surfaces and objects, create atmospheres, and highlight details, discovering the essential role of light in shaping visual experiences.

Experimenting, observing, interpreting: the workshop focused on the interplay between creative intuition and technical expertise, two essential skills for lighting designers. Through direct interaction with DGA professionals, students gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between design quality, lighting tools, and visual outcomes. After all, lighting design is not simply about illuminating a space, but about giving it character, shaping perceptions, and turning ideas into emotions through precise and thoughtful design choices.

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Designing the Invisible: AANT at the DxS Conference 2026

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Design
Events
Three-year course

How do we design something we cannot see? And how can design give form, meaning and experience to what lies beyond visual perception? These questions are at the heart of the two contributions through which AANT will take part in the DxS Conference 2026, scheduled for 15–16 October in Rome at AMKA Social Hub.

Now in its third edition, the Conference is promoted by the DxS: Design (per) Semiotics study group, which explores the dialogue between design and semiotics through the themes of perception, action and meaning-making. The 2026 edition focuses on the theme The Credible and the Incredible: Architectures of Imagination.

Representing AANT will be Alessandra Reggiani, architect, lighting designer, AANT lecturer and Director of the LuDe – Lighting Design Master’s Programme, and Michelle Damilano, a second-year Design student.

With her presentation “Illuminating the Invisible”, Alessandra Reggiani will explore light as a design medium capable of shaping experience, communication and our relationship with space. Her focus will be on underground environments, where technical, practical, perceptual and sensory aspects intersect in unusual conditions. Here, the immaterial nature of light meets the “invisibility” of space, calling for specific design approaches and a different perspective on the relationship between lighting and perception.

Michelle Damilano approaches the theme from a different perspective with her contribution, “Describing the Invisible: Colour Beyond Sight.” The project emerged during her academic studies from an apparently simple question: how can we describe a colour without referring to visual elements or objects commonly associated with it? This question gave rise to a research project exploring how the experience of colour can be made accessible to blind and visually impaired people through multisensory and narrative tools. Colour is thus taken beyond its exclusively visual dimension and interpreted through textures, temperatures, sounds, emotions and sensory associations.

Two contributions that, from different perspectives and levels of experience, share the same field of inquiry: exploring what design can make perceptible, accessible and meaningful. Because designing also means questioning what we take for granted and finding new languages to make visible and shareable what is not yet so.

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AANT Students’ Documentaries at Pigneto Film Festival 2026

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Three-year course
Videomaking

On Friday, October 9, starting at 6:00 p.m., Prima di domani and Quanto basta, two documentaries created by first-year students of AANT’s three-year academic programme in Videomaking, Story, Cinema and Media Design, will be screened at Cantina Rosé as part of the Pigneto Film Festival.

 

The event is part of the programme of activities taking place across the neighbourhood during the Festival, bringing cinema into a variety of spaces and creating opportunities for filmmakers, audiences and the local community to come together.

 

Developed as part of the educational activities offered by the Academy in Rome, the two projects share a common area of exploration: observing the present through the voices, expectations and fears of people from different generations and social backgrounds. Prima di domani builds a collective narrative around the pursuit of happiness, exploring the relationship between individual desires, expectations and social pressures. Quanto basta, on the other hand, begins with a direct question — “What are we afraid of when we think about the future?” — and, through interviews and personal accounts, brings different experiences into dialogue, revealing shared fears and questions that transcend individual differences.

 

Guided by AANT faculty members, the students approached documentary filmmaking as a practice rooted in observation, listening and engagement with reality.

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geniaLAB’s First Annual Forum at AANT

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
geniaLAB

How can we nurture the desire to create in the age of AI? This question is at the heart of “New Forms of Creative Knowledge”, geniaLAB’s first annual Forum, taking place on 23 and 24 October 2026 at AANT’s campus at Via Monza 21, Rome.

The two-day event will bring together art, philosophy, research and education to explore the relationship between artificial intelligence and creative processes. It builds on the work of geniaLAB, AANT’s interdisciplinary research HUB dedicated to generative AI, digital culture, cognitive technologies and creative innovation.

On Friday 23 October, the programme will open with a welcome address by Rossana Quarta, Director of AANT, followed by “A Year of geniaLAB”, presented by Gianna Angelini, AANT’s Scientific Director and geniaLAB Coordinator. Andrea Colamedici, Chair of geniaLAB’s Scientific Committee, will then deliver a talk entitled “AI: Apocalyptic Intelligence. Navigating Alarmism and Marketing”.

The day’s three sessions will address the question “How can we nurture the desire to create in the age of AI?” Each speaker will have fifteen minutes to offer a response drawing on their own perspective and experience. Contributors will include Massimo Canevacci, Maura Gancitano, Sabina Minardi, Paolo Granata, Pier Luigi Capucci, Simone Arcagni, Marco Gori, Emanuele Frontoni, Luna Bianchi, Alex Braga and Derrick de Kerckhove. Each session will be followed by a discussion, moderated respectively by Andrea Colamedici, Maura Gancitano and Gianna Angelini.

The final part of the afternoon will feature a closing lecture and discussion with Fr Andrea Ciucci, Secretary General of the Vatican RenAIssance Foundation. The day will conclude with a presentation of the outcomes of “AI&ME: The Fine Line Between Creativity and Generativity”, a workshop led by Alex Braga with AANT students, bringing theoretical reflection into dialogue with creative experimentation.

On Saturday 24 October, the Forum will continue in the Giardino d’inverno, focusing on the question “How can we inspire and develop the desire to create in the age of AI?” Following the opening remarks by Gianna Angelini, speakers will include Rossana Quarta for AANT; Riccardo Balbo, Academic Director of the IED Group; Anthony Marasco, Chair of NABA’s AI Committee; and Giovanna Cassese, a member of ANVUR’s Governing Board, Italy’s National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes.

The morning, intended for interested faculty members, will continue with an open discussion between the academies and members of AANT’s and geniaLAB’s Scientific Committee, moderated by Gianna Angelini and Andrea Colamedici. Building on themes emerging from the previous day, the discussion will explore the role of education and artistic and design research, including how research is evaluated in the age of AI.

The aim is to build a common approach to the challenges facing institutions of higher arts education and lay the foundations for a lasting dialogue, supporting ongoing reflection on changes in creative processes, teaching and research.

Download the full programme (PDF)

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My Story: AANT and AID Join Forces to Turn Stories into Digital Languages

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Three-year course

Telling your own story means choosing words, images, and sounds that can give shape to your experience. When these elements are combined with the tools of digital communication, a personal story can become a creative project to be shared with others.

 

This is the idea behind “My Story: a digital storytelling workshop for students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs)”, an initiative promoted by the Rome branch of the Italian Dyslexia Association (AID). The workshop will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at IC Fratelli Cervi in Rome, ahead of National Dyslexia Week 2026.

 

The workshop will engage young people with Specific Learning Disorders in a journey focused on self-narration. Drawing on their own experiences, strengths, challenges, and the strategies they have developed throughout their learning journey, participants will be guided through the process of creating a story and subsequently transforming it through digital media.

 

AANT will take part in the initiative as a technical partner for the audiovisual, directing, and digital production components, continuing the collaboration and training activities developed with AID Rome. The workshop will feature Valentina Miniati, lecturer and AID trainer, alongside Valeria Grasso, AANT lecturer, and Valerio Di Paola, coordinator of AANT’s Videomaking course.

 

Creativity, technology, and inclusion come together in an experience where digital media are not simply a means of production, but a tool through which people can tell their own stories and convey the complexity of the present.

 

For further information about the programme and how to participate, please visit the event page on the AID Rome website.

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Talking Maps, Living Memories: Performing Media Comes to AANT

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Three-year course

On 22 September, the Aula Magna at AANT became a space for exploring the intersection of memory and innovation with “Paesaggi Umani di Roma Plurale. Performing Media Storytelling per la Memoria Rigenerativa”, a project now in its second edition and part of the Rome Future Week programme.

The event brought to the Academy in Rome a reflection closely connected to contemporary research in the fields of art and new technologies: how can digital tools give voice to the places, stories and memories that shape the city?

“Paesaggi Umani di Roma Plurale” transforms the city into an environment to be explored, listened to and reinterpreted. Walkabouts, workshops, geolocated podcasts, augmented reality, video projections and Artificial Intelligence become tools for actively engaging students, citizens and performers in discovering the stories and memories of Rome’s neighbourhoods.

At the heart of the event at AANT was Performing Media Storytelling, a practice that brings together urban space, narrative and digital technologies, experimenting with new ways of building and sharing collective memory. Among the experiences presented was that of Polyhymnia, the Muse of Memory, whose 2nd-century AD statue was discovered beneath Villa Fiorelli in 1928 and is now being reinterpreted through a digital double.

A special thanks to Carlo Infante and Nuvola Project for the experience they offered to all our students.

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From Ideas to Projects: Master ACES Thesis Presentations at AANT

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Master

On September 18, the Master ACES – Advertising: Creativity and Strategy thesis presentations took place in AANT’s Aula Magna, marking the conclusion of the academic journey while showcasing the results of a process shaped by research, design, dialogue and experimentation.

Nine students took centre stage during the day, presenting three group projects:

-Alice Celli, Giacomo Lippolis e Denise Lepore: “18 baci”;

-Giulia Casci, Rosa Marchese e Carolina Marmolejos: “Exposed – Nothing to hide”;

-Martina Ottaviani, Mariateresa Quattrone ed Eleonora Guarnieri: “Lallera – 592 modi per non nominarla, tutti validi per parlarne”.

 

The thesis represents a significant milestone in the learning journey: a moment when knowledge, tools and design skills come together in a project that reflects both an individual and a shared vision. The September 18 presentations therefore marked the end of one chapter in the Master ACES journey while opening another, as the skills and experiences developed at the Academy move forward into new professional and creative contexts. Congratulations to our students on reaching this important milestone!

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AANT at EAIE 2026 in Glasgow

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Three-year course

From 8 to 11 September 2026, AANT took part in the 36th Annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, organised by the European Association for International Education in Glasgow, Scotland. The Academy was represented by Gianna Angelini, Head of Internationalisation and Scientific Director, whose programme of meetings focused on strengthening existing collaborations and developing new academic connections. 

Bringing together more than 7,300 professionals from over 100 countries, the event gathered the international higher education community around the theme “The Rhythm of Revolution”: an invitation to reflect on change and the role of cooperation in shaping the future of education. 

For AANT, discussions centred on developing learning opportunities for students and staff: study exchanges, short programmes, collaborative workshops and professional development experiences. Meetings with existing partners provided an opportunity to review current activities and begin planning for the new academic year, while new contacts opened up possibilities across design, communication, audiovisual media and creative technologies. 

The conference also offered an opportunity to present AANT’s educational identity and discuss the development of its English-taught provision, with the aim of welcoming an increasingly international student community. This approach complements opportunities abroad with the chance to study and work on creative projects in Rome alongside people from different cultural backgrounds. Particular attention was given to the ethical and sustainable use of AI in the classroom.

AANT’s participation in EAIE continues the Academy’s work towards an education that connects creative skills, international experiences and professional practice.

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The AANT Faculty Meeting Opens the New Academic Year

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Events
Three-year course

A new academic year begins with the people, skills and ideas that contribute every day to shaping the identity of AANT. On Monday, September 14, the Academy hosted its Faculty Meeting, bringing together the teaching staff for a moment of exchange and discussion ahead of the start of the new academic year.

The plenary meeting was also an opportunity to welcome the new lecturers joining the AANT community, bringing with them their experience, professional expertise and fresh perspectives. The expansion of the teaching staff further strengthens the ongoing dialogue between education and the professional world, a key element of the educational approach of the Academy in Rome.

During the Faculty Meeting we discussed results and future prospects in the areas of teaching, research, internationalisation, events, and the academic offering. The coordinators of the three-year academic programmes took the floor to share perspectives, objectives and plans for supporting students throughout the months ahead.

The exchange between different disciplines, experiences and creative languages is a fundamental part of the AANT educational experience: an environment where creativity, research, design and new technologies come together and become opportunities for growth.

The Faculty Meeting concluded with shared wishes for a successful new academic year to the entire AANT community.

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AANT Erasmus Welcome Day

Posted on by Eleonora Angelini
Erasmus+
Events
Three-year course

New encounters, new perspectives, and the start of an academic year shaped by international exchange. During the Welcome Day on September 4, AANT welcomed nine Erasmus students from European partner universities and institutions, ready to experience a journey of learning, exchange, and creative cross-pollination in Rome.

The students joining the Academy in this first semester are Adriana Hormigos Sanz, from UNIE in Spain; Rebeca Gimenez Esteban, from UDIT in Spain; Sara Lucas, from KdG in Belgium; Moria Dzerdz, from EICAR in France; Mariana Montalvo Nuno Amaral Figueiredo and Maria Luisa Loureiro Da Silva, both from IPCA in Portugal; Luisa Gropp, from Hochschule der Medien in Germany; Iria Gonzales, from CEU in Spain; and Annabelle Blackert, from Technische Hochschule Mannheim in Germany.

During their time at the Academy, the students will have the opportunity to attend courses in Design, Advertising, Videomaking, and Game, exploring the methodologies, creative languages, and projects that define the AANT learning experience.

The Erasmus programme is much more than an opportunity to study abroad: it is a chance for different cultures, skills, and perspectives to come together. The presence of our new students is therefore an enriching experience for the entire AANT community, encouraging the exchange of ideas and the creation of new connections within an increasingly open and international creative environment.

To all of them, welcome to AANT and welcome to Rome!

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