GIULIA CICERO SANTALENA

'Interior design as a way to communicate hybrid national identities'

Giulia's dissertation intends to merge Maltese and Sicilian identities through the creation of CENTONOVANTA, an app prototype that will allow users to furnish any indoor environment in a hybrid manner using the AR function. The concept of hybrid national identity is explored in Giulia's project, as well as its relation to interior design and its virtual application in the real world through augmented reality. The design process brought together the issues raised in tackling the question of which visual elements might contribute to the creation of national identity and where they can be found in Malta and Sicily. To do so, it was essential during her last year of her studies to carefully observe, and then photograph, every visual element that could be useful for the reconstruction of both Maltese and Sicilian identities.