Serotonin by sara ricciardi floats inside the pinacoteca di brera
At a time when modern life is defined by overstimulation and emotional exhaustion, Sara Ricciardi’s fascinating Serotonin – The Chemistry of Happiness installation at the Pinacoteca di Brera proposes a spatial response to how pleasure is produced, perceived and sustained. Presented during Milan Design Week 2026the inflatable structure floats inside the loggiato of the historic building, turning it into a responsive, sensory environment which translates a biochemical process into lived experience. Developed in partnership with American Express, the project is open to the public from April 21 to 26, 2026.
Asked what she hopes visitors take away from the installation, Ricciardi points to an immediate, almost instinctive response. “Give them a smile, you know, which can also be a deeper level of understanding,” Sarah Ricciardi says designboom, framing the installation as an immediate emotional trigger before unfolding into something more layered.
all images by Giuseppe Miotto and Marco Cappelletti Studio
a pulsating environment shaped by breath and rhythm
THE Team based in Milan at Sara Ricciardi Studio reinterprets serotonin not as an abstract scientific concept, but as something spatial, atmospheric and embodied. The inflatable forms gently expand and contract throughout the loggiato, introducing a slow choreography reminiscent of breathing and heartbeat. Light, color and sound work in sync, producing a continuous sensory pulse that moves through the space rather than remaining fixed within it.
“It’s an organic sculpture, air sculpture, with these super bright colors that give you these good vibes.” Ricciardi tells us, describing the installation as a living system. Visitors enter what reads as a living landscape. The installation behaves like an organism that reacts subtly through rhythm and repetition. This temporal dimension becomes central, happiness is framed not as a static state but as a fluctuating state that emerges, peaks and dissolves.
The work constructs an environment where perception is slightly destabilized. Color gradients and optical patterns refract on inflated surfaces, dissolving edges and distorting depth. Bodies are absorbed into color fields, while movement through the space activates displaced visual effects.
inflatable, colorful forms spread across the Pinacoteca di Brera loggia
the chemistry of happiness as a spatial narrative
Ricciardi creates a deliberate tension with the architectural context. The softness and changeability of the installation contrast with the weight and permanence of the stone sculptures of the Pinacoteca di Brera. This juxtaposition sharpens the reading of both: the historic loggia becomes more rigid, the installation more alive.“We wanted to come up with these flawed shapes to remember how important it is to create this dialogue between rigid structure and organic shape,” she explains.
Rather than explaining serotonin, the installation stages its effects, asking what triggers pleasure and how long it lasts, framing happiness as a transient biological response shaped by encounters, movement, and sensory input.
“Every time we have to start a project, in my studio, we collect words,” notes Ricciardi. “And here, we had ‘arts, loggiato, statues, important thinkers, enjoyment of art.’ From this constellation, the concept arose intuitively. “Well, we were thinking about what we have. Something that associates all these words and pleasure, serotonin, you know? Something you can actually feel in your body and fill you with a warm, beautiful feeling.” she adds.
The airy volumes contrast with the rigid stone architecture of the historic courtyard
between excess and absence
Ricciardi situates the work in a larger reflection on contemporary experience, where stimuli are constant and often reinforced. The installation suggests a thin threshold: too much stimulation overwhelms, too little diminishes. What remains is a search for balance that never settles.“Sometimes, we have to remember that serotonin is something that we activate in our body by ourselves, as soon as we receive a hug.” she reflects.
This balance is spatialized through contrast. “Here you have such a soft air structure, but if you have too much air, you fly away. And the point is to find yourself in the middle of the two forces. says Ricciardi, describing the facility’s balance between expansion and control.
Unlike historical architecture, this tension becomes symbolic. “We have an incredible, raw, rigid structure, made of stone, and stone is extremely strong. But it doesn’t let you go anywhere. You stay here, so you must be in between, in his strong aspect of air and stone.’ she continues. “And this dialogue is very important to always cultivate,” concludes Ricciardi.
the installation weaves between columns | image ©designboom
Subtle gradations and optical color transitions are saturated in the installation | image ©designboom
hanging figures hover between the arches
the inflatable structure interacts with the historic railing | image ©designboom
