• This exhibition marks the start of a year-long program curated by Óscar Manrique, conceived in dialogue with the gallery space and the brand’s values.
  
  
• Its opening represents Neolith’s first official event at Madrid Design Festival 2026, followed by a full agenda of activities.

As part of the latest edition of Madrid Design Festival, Neolith is presenting the first exhibition in its annual Retorno series, a year-long program curated by Óscar Manrique. This first exhibit, led by artist Día Muñoz, opened yesterday at Neolith Living Gallery in Madrid. Featuring works created specifically for this context, the exhibition is Neolith’s first official event within Madrid Design Festival 2026, launching a cultural program aligned with creative thinking, artistic research, and dialogue between design, art, and sustainability.

Día Muñoz’s exhibition kicks off the activities Neolith has prepared during Madrid Design Festival.

Retorno is directly connected to Neolith’s philosophy, approaching material as a territory of meaning, memory, and responsibility. The series proposes a return to stone through a contemporary lens, exploring questions linked to origin, transformation, and the relationship between progress, nature, and human action. Each intervention is conceived as a piece created specifically in dialogue with the exhibition context and the brand’s values.

In this first exhibition, Día Muñoz presents Ilium, a work that investigates the intersections of art, biotechnology, and ecology from a critical and poetic perspective. Through materials such as wood, glass, and other organic elements, the artist creates a sculptural universe that reflects on the body as an ecosystem, regeneration, and the interdependence between the human and the non-human. Her work is positioned within a posthuman ecological imagination that challenges dominant narratives and proposes new ways of relating to our surroundings.

In addition to the exhibition, Neolith has scheduled a series of workshops aimed at exploring new perspectives and approaches through design, art, and materiality. The first will be led by Pilar Alberola and Lucía Orus from studio PersonalK, titled “Colors, textures and forms: the new language of design.” The session offers a hands-on creative exercise focused on textures and material combinations, where attendees will work alongside the interior designers to develop a concept using fabrics, wallpaper, and Neolith surfaces.

The next session is presented together by Natuzzi Italia and Neolith in an exclusive workshop led by designer and visual artist Mónica Muñoz. “Collage workshop with artist Moniquilla” invites participants to explore texture, color, and volume by creating an artistic collage with iconic materials from both brands, in a creative experimentation space where industrial materials are transformed into high-aesthetic-value expressions—bridging craftsmanship and architectural innovation.

This program also includes the workshop “How to improve your home without changing your home”, led by architect and interior designer Macarena Gea. Using real-life examples and a practical smartphone photography component, the session will help attendees apply simple resources that noticeably enhance both comfort and the home’s overall look and feel. Neolith Living Gallery will serve as the setting, highlighting the role of materials, continuity, and light—and how they shape the way we experience our own spaces.

Finally, interior designer José Arroyo will immerse attendees in a sensory environment to experience firsthand, in a dynamic way, what a space that connects with the senses feels like. His “Sensory neurodecoration workshop with José Arroyo” will address the importance of neurodecoration and the key elements involved in transforming spaces and designing environments that engage the senses.

With the opening of Retorno and its agenda of activities at Madrid Design Festival 2026, Neolith underscores its commitment to today’s cultural landscape, integrating art into its creative ecosystem and expanding its presence at one of Spain’s leading design events. Neolith Living Gallery is also further established as a reference space for cross-disciplinary dialogue.

“Madrid Design Festival is a key platform for driving relevant conversations around contemporary design and its impact on the way we live. For Neolith, being part of this event means actively contributing to that reflection—connecting materials, creativity, and experiences that bring design closer to both professionals and the wider public,” says Andreas Manero, Group Marketing Director at Neolith.

Throughout the year, the Retorno series will continue to expand with new exhibitions and proposals, in line with Neolith’s commitment to artistic creation and a vision of design linked to innovation, culture, and sustainability.

The Ilium exhibition and all activities will take place at Neolith Living Gallery (Calle de Padilla 6, Madrid). 

VIEW THE AGENDA HERE