Atelier LIA-CODE

The Origins of the Lia-code Project and the 7-bit Language

Lia-code’s (Liala Polato) initial idea was to use 7-bit machine code, replacing the numbers zero and one with lines, spaces, and gaps—as an act of irony, a rebellion against words that label and strip away identity, thereby breaking down words to encode the letters themselves. To make her message less cryptic, she then sought the support of geometric elements and symbolic forms, in addition to reworking familiar images. The exploration and crossing of boundaries into the abstract realm of words—which shape and investigate the verbal landscape and the spaces of communication—has gone beyond the visual to engage with tactile communication. Hers is not a journey into the unreal: it is about focusing attention, the need to encounter the new, the need to find answers that aid daily life, and digging to uncover origins.

An inclusive project for the blind and visually impaired

It is also an artistic project designed to raise awareness and engage blind and visually impaired people through a unique sensory experience that highlights tactile art as a language of inclusivity, beauty, and communication.

An immersive experience: experiencing art through touch

The aim is to offer an immersive and innovative experience that allows visitors to engage with original, renowned works of contemporary art through touch, created using materials and forms that can be fully perceived by those who are visually impaired.

HOUSE GALLERY: Art in everyday life in the local area

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he renovated his home and transformed it into HOUSE GALLERY; with the support of the municipal government and the Gussa-Gò Association, he launched a new way of exhibiting art in the local community—art in everyday life.

Awards, publications, and international recognitions

Lia-code’s art has been recognized with awards both in Italy and abroad. In the art publications by Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori-Profili D’artista, art critic Prof. Giammarco Puntelli describes Lia-code’s concept of tactile art (for both sighted and visually impaired people), in addition to having presented it in a lecture at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and the Diocesan Museum of Massa Carrara for an artistic event linked to the Jubilee of Hope in 2025.
Some of the most significant awards received: in 2024, she won the Modigliani International Prize; in 2023 she participated in the London Art Biennale; in 2022 she was among the artists selected for the Peace and Love Expo in Dubai-Abu Dhabi; in 2017 she participated in the Miami Art Fair; in 2018 and 2019 she won the National City of Novara Award; and in 2016 she exhibited at Le Dame Art Gallery in London. She has been selected for numerous international group exhibitions.

Where to see the works: Italy and Franciacorta

His works are on display in Italy and in the Franciacorta region, specifically at the town hall, the Carabinieri barracks, and at the intersection of Via Ronco and Via G. Piamarta in Gussago, where a large sculpture is installed.