In the summer of 2025, GAMeC will present a special project in collaboration with the Bergamo section of the Italian Alpine Club: EX., a design laboratory founded by Andrea Cassi and Michele Versaci, will oversee the reconstruction of the historical Aldo Frattini Bivouac in Valbondione, located at around 2,300 meters along the stunning Alta Via delle Orobie Bergamasche in the Seriana Valley.
Conceived as a high-altitude GAMeC “venue,” the new structure will not host exhibitions or events, but due to its location and design—closely linked to its primary function as a place of shelter and protection, always open—it will offer a unique aesthetic experience.
The new Aldo Frattini Bivouac, the design of which recalls that of an alpine tent—a symbol of early expeditions and high-altitude feats—is conceived to minimize environmental impact and maximize space, with reversible features to reduce land consumption. It will remain a safe and comfortable refuge for hikers and mountaineers, offering protection from the elements, thermal insulation, and essential functionality.
What makes the new bivouac especially distinctive is its potential to serve as a base for environmental monitoring and scientific research, contributing to the understanding and protection of mountain ecosystems. Thanks to the use of new technologies, GAMeC will become the hub where collected data will be continuously transmitted and analyzed.
The lead-up to the opening of the new Frattini Bivouac will include a series of events. From June 7 to September 14, the exhibition project Mountain Forgets You will be on view in GAMeC’s Spazio Zero.
Through research materials—including documents, drawings, and sketches—selected by EX. in collaboration with Studio Folder and supported by Luca Gibello and Francesca Chiorino, the exhibition will showcase the design process behind the new Aldo Frattini Bivouac. It will trace the development from the definition of core design principles to the contextualization of the bivouac within the broader evolution of high-altitude architectural typologies and technologies.
Alongside this historical perspective, a more contemporary viewpoint is introduced with the presentation of Thermocene, a visual and sound symphony created by Giorgio Ferrero and Rodolfo Mongitore (Mybosswas), produced by MYBOSSWAS, EX., ARTECO, and KINO Produzioni. Immersed in the glacial solitude of the Corradini and Berrone Bivouacs—both designed by EX. in the Piedmont Alps—the two composers transformed noises and radio waves—human traces rendered invisible—into a choral song, exploring the conscious collaboration between nature and humanity. This work aims to foster a new collective awareness, showing that it is impossible to imagine a planet without a pervasive human impact.
Finally, in September, a multidisciplinary roundtable will foster dialogue among artists, architects, and professionals. This gathering will not only be a moment of reflection but also a concrete opportunity to address the complex relationship between humans and mountains, on a day dedicated to architecture and the role of alpine bivouacs over the past century.
The reconstruction project of the new Aldo Frattini Bivouac is currently underway with the support of Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione della Comunità Bergamasca. Thanks are due to Sacbo S.p.A., Abitare Legno S.r.l., Ferrino & C. S.p.A., and Tecnosugheri S.r.l.