Following the success of the first two editions, the Design Talk Festival returns in 2026 with a new series of events from 4 to 6 June, coinciding with Genoa Design Week, and reaffirming its status as an increasingly important platform for international dialogue on design culture.
Promoted by the Genoa Chamber of Commerce, the Municipality of Genoa and the Liguria Region, the festival is establishing itself as a space for dialogue between architecture, design, institutions and the public, capable of connecting global visions with local specificities.
The 2026 edition is structured around a dual focus: on the one hand, international outreach; on the other, a reflection on the role of culture and infrastructure as catalysts for urban transformation.
All three events are moderated by Simona Finessi, curator of the festival alongside Alfonso Femia, architect and president of the Fondazione Le Città del Futuro, promoter of a design vision that focuses on the relationship between architecture, the city and culture.
The festival is organised into three themed days.
4 June 2026 – from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm
Genoa, Palazzo Tursi, Reception Hall
“The City: Culture as the Driving Force Behind Urban Processes”
The event offers a reflection on the role of culture as an intangible infrastructure capable of influencing the ‘body’ of the city, shaping its development, identity and the quality of its public spaces.
In this context, Genoa represents an emblematic case: a city that is demonstrating its ability to turn a bold vision into reality, harmoniously combining its historical and monumental dimensions with its contemporary and civic ones, in an open and inclusive dialogue with all generations.
Francesca Coppola, Councillor for Urban Planning for the City of Genoa, will be taking part.
Joining the panel of speakers, in conversation with architect Alfonso Femia – Fondazione Le città del Futuro – and Simona Finessi, will be Sandy Attia and Matteo Scagnol, founders of MoDus Architects, a South Tyrolean firm internationally recognised for its ability to explore the relationship between architecture, context and landscape through projects that interpret urban transformation as a cultural process.
They will be joined by Paolo Verri, director of the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation, a leading figure in the Italian cultural landscape who has long been committed to developing cultural strategies as a driver of territorial and urban regeneration.The discussion will be rounded off by a presentation on the city of Mantua, featuring Mattia Palazzi, the outgoing mayor, who has led an administrative initiative that has successfully leveraged culture as a driver of development, helping to strengthen the city’s role on the national and European stage.
5 June 2026 from 17:30 to 19:30
Palazzo della Regione Liguria
‘Surf and Turf’ Transparency Room
The spotlight will be on the international firm Oneworks, with Leonardo Cavalli, founder and managing partner, and Francesca Pintus, Associate Director, who will discuss global-scale projects – such as the Doha Metro – alongside developments in Liguria, including the ports of Genoa and Savona, the Marina di Ventimiglia and the expansion of Genoa Airport.
6 June 2026 from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm
Palazzo della ex Borsa Valori, Sala Delle Grida
Odile Decq Keynote Lecture
The festival concludes in one of the city’s most iconic venues, the Sala delle Grida of the former Stock Exchange, with a keynote lecture by Odile Decq, a leading figure in international contemporary architecture. Through a direct and deeply personal account, Odile Decq will offer a radical vision of design as a critical and cultural tool, capable of questioning the present and redefining the role of architecture in contemporary society.
An architect, urban planner and designer, Odile Decq is internationally recognised for her unconventional approach and a highly distinctive aesthetic. Founder of the ODBC Architecture (Odile Decq Benoît Cornette Architectes-Urbanistes) and subsequently of Studio Odile Decq, she has created iconic works around the world, distinguishing herself through a bold and experimental architectural language. In 2014, she founded the Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture in Lyon, an international school dedicated to an interdisciplinary vision of design.
The opportunity to host such a prominent figure on the international scene has been made possible thanks to the support of CERSAIE, the world’s leading trade fair for the ceramics and surfaces sector, which has chosen to support the festival, recognising it as an ideal platform for its promotional activities and for fostering an international dialogue on design culture.
The keynote lecture will be followed by a discussion between Odile Decq, Alfonso Femia and Angelo Dall’Aglio, CERSAIE Operative Director.
All three events benefit from the valuable support and patronage of the Genoa Association of Architects and, given their high cultural value, have been accredited, with 2 continuing professional development credits awarded for each event. Attendance as a member of the public is free of charge, subject to registration via the following links:
