Simone Carena

Specialization

Architecture, Interior design, Art direction.

Professional Experience

• Founder & Principal ad MOTOElastico, the Best Italian Architecture office in Korea.
• Curator of the International Hall at the 2021 Gwangju Design Biennale
• Art Director for High Street Italia, ITA Seoul and the Italian Institute of Culture HQ, Korea (2019-2022) 
• Space Curator for the 2023 Gwangju Design Biennale
• Producer of “Moving Interiors with Marcello Gandini” Masterclass for the Qatar Auto Museum and VCUArts (2024)

Education

• Master of Architecture, SCI-Arc, LA, USA
• Master of Architecture (Magna Cum Laude), Turin Polytechnic University, Italy

Biography

Born in Turin, Simone Carena (S.C.) studied Architecture in Italy, England, Canada, USA and Jamaica. 

His roots dig into the legacy of his parents Carlangela & Cesario and sister Elena. He learned from the research in art, architecture and clay industry of his late father Cesario Carena, founder of the “Fornace Spazio Permanente” Culture Hub and MUNLAB, the Eco-Museum of Clay of Turin, directed by Elena.

In 2001, he moved to Seoul when offered a teaching position in Digital Media Design at IDAS / Hongik University due to the success of his “zerovolume” project: the first music video clip designed for and with deaf people. 

In 2006, he founded the award-winning studio MOTOElastico with Marco Bruno.  

In 2017, S.C. was dubbed Knighthood of the Italian Star by the Italian President for his contribution to cultural relations between Korea and Italy. 

In 2022, his Korean-Italian family of 5 (Simone + Jihye = Felice, Forte & Fermo) enthusiastically moved to Qatar to begin a new exciting life-chapter in the third peninsula they will call “home”.

Research Interests

• Learning from Bob Marley and DUB Music: Dub-Architecture, mixing local flavor with international influences.
  The first 2007 experiment is a Traditional Korean house dubbed with Jamaican bits, featured in multiple publications including The Architectural Review in 2009 and NY Times in 2012 and the very popular 4 episodes documentary KBS 인간극장 (Screening Humanity) followed by millions of Korean viewers around the world.
• Learning from Marcello Gandini and mobility: Moving Interiors, a masterclass filmed in 4 video lectures with the Maestro, dedicated to the next generation of designers, linking Italy and Qatar, MAUTO (National Auto Museum of Turin, Italy) and QAM (the Qatar Auto Museum), filmed in 2023-24 and launching in early 2025.
• Eclecticism, exploring the boundaries of Art, Design, Architecture, and Reggae: planning an installation project for the Bob Marley Group (Tuff Gong Studios) in Kingston and the Reggae Archives Museum with Roger Steffens in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Publications

• Co-Author (with Marco Bruno & Minji Kim) of “Borrowed City” 2013 D.A.M. Architecture Book of the Year
• Project published on multiple design and architecture magazines and exhibition catalogues.
• Worked on Television, Online Media, radio and print, for KBS, Arirang TV, TBS, NYTimes, RAI_TV, MtV.

Presentations/ Exhibitions

• S.C. and MOTOElastico’s work were featured at Venice Art and Architecture Biennale, the Marrakech Biennale, the Tasmeem Conference, Dubai Design Days, Tina Kim Gallery NYC, the Korean Craft Exhibit in Riyadh and among the multiple events in Korea at The Gwangju Design Biennale, MMCA-Seoul Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, APAP, Seoul Citizen Hall, Seoul Art Center, Culture Station 428, Arco Gallery, COEX, Kintex and Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
• 2023-2024 Art Residency at Doha Firestation with M. Bruno with the artwork “MOBUMENTS, Movable-Monuments”.
• 2024 February “DUB DESIGN” for ICA Lecture Series, with Marco Bruno, at VCUArts Richmond.
• 2024 September, Architectural Review London, article about the MUNLAB and the architectural heritage of the Carena Brick Factory.
• 2025 Participation to the VCUQ pavilion at the London Design Biennale with 2 team installations.