At Fondazione Riccardo Catella, on the occasion of Milano Design Week 2026 within the Isola Design District, House Humbaba by Davina Atallah - Lebanese artist who lives and works in Beirut - takes part in the exhibition Default Is Not Universal – The Same Design, Different Perceptions, curated by Isola for Ithra – King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture.

The exhibition challenges the idea of a single, universal perspective, proposing instead a dynamic and participatory approach that invites visitors to engage with the work of designers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and to become an active part of the experience.
Within this context, Body Blocks 3,500 BCE, the project by Davina Atallah, takes shape as a series of modular blocks—approximately thirty elements—crafted from PEFC-certified solid beech wood. Each block is individually worked and hand-finished, dyed with organic, non-toxic milk paint and sealed with a water-based finish to ensure a smooth and safe tactile surface.

The forms, intentionally essential and slightly irregular, evoke a primitive yet surprisingly familiar language. Designed to be moved, combined, and reconfigured, the blocks encourage direct and almost instinctive interaction: building, dismantling, and rebalancing.

All photos are by Areej Mahmoud