Orticolario 2026 en rêverie - Beyond Wonder: A Collective Dream

Orticolario 2026_en rêverie

Orticolario 2026 en rêverie - Beyond Wonder: A Collective Dream

MILAN, ITALY, June 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Orticolario 2026 en rêverie
Beyond Wonder: A Collective Dream
Orticolario—the international event celebrating nature in all its forms—unveils its sixteenth edition: en rêverie. From October 1–4 at Villa Erba on Lake Como, dedicated to promoting landscape culture, also as a social mission.Beyond the tangible dimension. An invitation to close your eyes and observe what lies behind your eyelids, suspended in a dreamlike space. Entering the realm of the fantastic, where the rules of reality are overturned.
Following the pursuit of wonder that defined the 2025 edition, Orticolario’s journey evolves and rises toward a different dimension: that of dreams, illusion, and imagination. No longer simply the desire to discover, but the ability to generate—to shape with the mind what does not yet exist, giving form to infinite possible worlds. At the heart of this surreal dimension: fantastical plants.
For four days, the historic park and exhibition center of the nineteenth-century villa overlooking the lake will host more than 250 carefully selected Italian and international exhibitors, united in their commitment to fostering a deeper awareness of landscape culture. Rare, unusual, and collectible plants, alongside artisanal objects and original creations, celebrate a nature that becomes art and craftsmanship in an exclusive setting.
Seven thematic gardens selected through the international Creative Spaces competition (whose winner receives the Foglia d’oro del Lago di Como award) and seven site-specific installations inspired by the year’s theme provide the backdrop for a rich cultural program featuring experts, landscape architects, agronomists, and visionaries. Performances, experiences, and workshops will also engage children and young people through activities designed especially for them.
Not the literal dream (somnium in Latin, from somnus: sleep) —the experience that unfolds in the silence of the night, when the body rests and the mind drifts through unexpected images.
En rêverie is something subtler. It derives from the old French rêver, meaning to wander, to drift, to step outside reality. It is not sleep, but the movement of the mind. Not surrender, but exploration. A suspended state in which thought is freed, loses itself and finds itself again, giving shape to images that belong neither to day nor to night. Imagining worlds beyond the threshold of reality is the guiding principle behind Hypnos, a project by Mario Mariani / Central Park and Matteo Boccardo, realized with the support of Fondazione Banca Popolare di Milano in the event’s central pavilion, its cultural and conceptual heart.
At the center of the sixteenth edition are plant species that, through their forms, colors, or peculiar characteristics, seem to come from another world. Strange, almost alien plants that astonish with atypical morphologies, rare evolutionary strategies, and unexpected survival mechanisms are the protagonists of Phantasos, a botanical installation by Mario Mariani / Central Park and Matteo Boccardo.
Among the iconic places of this edition, art once again takes over the atrium of Villa Erba with Les imaginaires. Not an exhibition about nature, but a poetic transfiguration of it, entrusted to the visionary eye of artist Lau Cabantous and the scientific and cultural depth of ethnobotanist Lucia Papponi, with the support of Taroni. The guest of honor for Orticolario 2026 is Luigi Serafini, artist, architect, and creator of the renowned Codex Seraphinianus. An internationally celebrated cult book, the Codex defies every encyclopedic convention, presenting—in an indecipherable language—organisms, architectures, and botanical forms that do not exist. Every illustration is accompanied by texts and captions written in asemic script: a form of writing devoid of semantic meaning, yet structured according to precise syntactic rules. Leafing through the Codex is a pause from understanding, a tribute to the power of imagination and to mystery as a tool for knowledge.Following Michele De Lucchi and Antonia Klugmann, Orticolario turns its focus to Luigi Serafini and the arts, reinforcing its interdisciplinary identity. The goal is for every edition to become a source of inspiration across disciplines, encouraging a 360-degree perception that moves between vision and taste, introspection and design, contemplation and experience.
From outstanding nurseries and artistic craftsmanship to gastronomic productions and biodesign projects, Orticolario’s selection process grows ever more focused on innovation and research.
From botanical rarities and bonsai to artisanal techniques and experiments in urban biodiversity, every exhibitor reflects quality, sustainability, and a contemporary vision aligned with the edition’s theme. For the third consecutive year, the central pavilion remains the heart of Orticolario’s cultural program.
In 2026, the cultural agora at the center of Hypnos takes the form of an intricate weave through a spectacular bamboo structure designed by CanyaLab. Confirmed guests include Luigi Serafini, science writer Alessandra Viola, author Christophe Ségas, and tree chronicler, poet, and photographer Tiziano Fratus.
A new feature for 2026 is that many workshops will take place within the intimate and exclusive setting of Villa Antica.
Alongside the main program, the park will host numerous experiences, ranging from musical performances to theatrical interventions. Special attention is once again devoted to younger generations, with dedicated activities for children aged 0–13 and teenagers aged 14–19. Orticolario is not a garden show, nor simply a marketplace exhibition. It is above all an event with a dual purpose: promoting landscape culture while supporting charitable and social initiatives.
The cultural activities at Villa Erba are made possible through the Amici di Orticolario Fund, managed by the Provincial Foundation of the Como Community, which distributes contributions to five local associations engaged in philanthropic projects connected to the event.
Orticolario is a cultural event dedicated to those who embrace nature as a way of life. The event takes place in the historic park of Villa Erba in Cernobbio (Como), a nineteenth-century residence overlooking the shores of Lake Como and the childhood summer home of film director Luchino Visconti.
Throughout the four days of the event—and during the rest of the year—funds are raised for the Friends of Orticolario Fund, which supports projects dedicated to promoting landscape culture and five charitable organisations operating within the local community.

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