The Internoitaliano manifesto cites the words of Michele Provinciali, referring to certain household items as things that “you always see and never look at”. How do you turn an object that you “don't look at” into a piece of furniture?
I believe that the transition from seeing to looking is a sort of return of dignity to the objects that accompany us in life. This type of change is achieved by returning to the most appropriate material for manufacturing the objects, avoiding an exaggerated, hyperbolic structure, choosing colours with discretion and originality, reviving relations with tradition, but always with an eye to contemporary design: by doing so, the objects speak once more, and when someone (or something) speaks, looking at it is simply good manners.
You published an open invitation on your Facebook profile to draw attention to small, high-quality, design-oriented Italian companies: why did you use social media? Can you comment on this medium?
Social media sites are a formidable communication tool, which allow me to immediately access a pool of people who are interested in the issues surrounding the project. I often ask my digital friends to gather opinions, information and participation in projects that I have in mind. It is a form of generous information exchange that feeds on reciprocal assistance: you know that everything you give will come back to you in other shapes and forms.
You recently presented the Razione K (K-ration) project at the Triennale. What do you think makes up the K-ration of an industrial designer in action?
The K-ration is a blend of design wisdom in terms of space saving, a quantity of food equivalent to that of a soldier in action, lightness, compactness and performance. I think designers must feed on these formidable design examples: good examples are a strong stimulus to improve our own design process.
Some years have gone by since 2009: can we expect a new series of Oggetti Disobbedienti?
No. Life is too short to repeat the same things: Disobedient Objects was, I believe, a successful chapter in my work, but other adventures await me!
From man holes to objects, from accessories to finishes: a long-cherished dream?
The only dreams that I consider are those that I can achieve. For a long time I have wanted to collaborate with the luthiers in my hometown, Cremona, and this idea is very gradually beginning to take shape…
To conclude: what are your upcoming projects and the companies involved?
Ancora Bross, then Alessi, Moleskine, Plust, Internoitaliano and many more!
