Milan has something no other European city can claim: a deep connection with the surrounding Alps. On clear days, the snow-covered peaks seem almost within reach, framed by the spires of the Duomo.
In the early 20th century, Milan shaped Vitale Bramani, the alpinist and entrepreneur behind Vibram. First a talented mountaineer, he later founded Vibram and revolutionized mountain footwear with the Carrarmato sole in 1937.
This winter, Vibram invites the outdoor community, cultural and design professionals, journalists, and opinion leaders to explore the bond between Milan and the Alps. Through events, installations, talks, and excursions, the company celebrates the city and the mountains as sources of inspiration values that defined Bramani’s vision and still guide Vibram today.
The program features renowned alpinists, cultural voices, installations, talks, and excursions, held in locations tied to Vibram’s history, from Milan Central Station to the mountains of Lombardy. It tells the story of mountain culture across generations and perspectives, highlighting Milan and the Alps as a cornerstone of Vibram’s identity.
An immersive experience in the heart of Milano
October 9, 2025
Milano Centrale Station
Echoes of Altitude is an immersive installation of sounds and scents: the Fonetica Glaciale project, an acoustic mapping of the Adamello glacier by sound artist Neunau, intertwined with the olfactory intervention of artist Sissel Tolaas. Together with culinary tastings prepared by Altatto, these elements will spark an intimate reflection on the mountain and evoke the sensation of altitude.
The evening will open at 6.30pm with a conversation featuring Neunau, Sissel Tolaas, Giovanni Baccolo and Ruggero Pietromarchi, who will moderate the conversation, guiding the dialogue between art, research and science.
Neunau is the sound research project of artist Sergio Maggioni whose ongoing work Fonetica Glaciale transforms over 15,000 hours of sound recordings, gathered across ten expeditions to the Adamello Glacier, into an auditory experience.
Sissel Tolaas is a Norwegian-Icelandic artist and scientist who has spent over three decades exploring the role of smell in human perception and memory.
Giovanni Baccolo is a researcher in glaciology and cold-environment Earth sciences at the University of Roma Tre, author of I Ghiacciai Raccontano and member of the Italian Glaciological Committee.
Ruggero Pietromarchi is a curator and cultural promoter, founder of Threes Productions and Terraforma festival.
