Actus Fidei

Preface

On December 5, 2011, NASA’s Kepler mission confirmed the discovery of Kepler-22b, a planet located 600 light-years away in the “habitable zone” of a Sun-like star. With a diameter 2.4 times that of Earth, an orbit of 290 days, and a surface temperature averaging 21°C, Kepler-22b’s conditions suggest it may support life. This discovery raises profound questions: If humanity were to relocate to another planet, what “minimal hand luggage” would we carry? Would it be a practical tool, a symbolic item, or something embodying a universal ideal? These questions inspired Another Terra / Home Away from Home, a special exhibit showcasing six projects by emerging talents in Italian design. The works explore the intersection of utility, symbolism, and storytelling in imagining objects for a New World.

Concept

Actus Fidei explores the theme of faith through the lens of symbolism drawn from the diverse religions created by humanity throughout history. Central to the project is the element of fire, a universal symbol connecting humanity to the Universe. Fire embodies warmth, illumination, and renewal—qualities that deeply resonate within spiritual and emotional dimensions. In many religious texts, fire is depicted as a sacred force that renews and rebalances, representing divine manifestation. In Actus Fidei, it becomes a medium for collective expression, an object imbued with meaning by the person who lights it up. Through the act of burning, the match is transformed into a shared prayer—a symbolic offering of universal trust into a new emerging community.

Design

The project draws inspiration from the matchstick, reimagining its design while preserving its materials and production techniques. The project features linden wood boards, engraved with prayers that spans sacred verses from the world’s religious texts to deeply personal prayers written by individual contributors. The tip of each tablet is coated with a sulfur/iron-based solution, forming a striking surface to ignite the matches. The boards are housed in a specially designed prayer box, which includes an abrasive strip for lighting the prayers. By uniting diverse religious and spiritual traditions into a single capsule of burning prayers, Actus Fidei emphasizes the shared, universal language that transcends individual doctrines. This convergence creates a singular, powerful vibration – ultimate expression of the Earth’s collective soul.