Abstract The exit from the Mediterranean emergency requires rethinking its identity in a new perspective. This means recognizing its legitimate role as a “Great Sea in Between”, as a cultural interface able to connect all the citizens that address to it, in everyday life and as individuals, involving them in a real “great conversation” based… Continua a leggere Mediterranean Great Conversation
Tag: Design
Corque Design: a New World Branding for Cork
In April 2009, a new sustainable design brand based on cork – a Mediterranean, sustainable and eco-efficient proved material – was internationally launched during the Milan Design Week. The brand was baptized as Corque Design (Mestre, 2006). The originality of Corque Design remains for being the first–ever launched brand exclusively dedicated to cork and to its application in eco-design products. Hence, it offers a range of high quality furnishing products and accessories carefully designed by prestigious Portuguese designers for people who most value creativity, quality and eco-efficient design (Corque, 2009). The brand has already accomplished several small series production, which have been exhibited and commercialized in the European, American and Asian Markets. Corque Design brand resulted from an applied design research project – Design Cork (Mestre, 2008, 2013) – with a focus on the search for new applications and design solutions based on cork materials and technologies and on strategies and processes that championed the use of creativity and conceptual development towards sustainable product design innovation.
Interview with Vincenzo Castellana
Vincenzo Castellana is an architect, designer, lecturer and co-founder, together with the executive committee of ADI Sicily, the regional delegation of ADI (Association for Italian industrial design). For several years, he has been conducting activities aimed at the exploitation of local, territorial resources, both as an architect, through works of architectural recovery and as a designer committed to modernizing outdated productions in the territory. Current President of ADI Sicily, Castellana endeavors to establish communication between the world of little production companies and craftsmanship with the young designers from the schools of art and design.Vincenzo Castellana è architetto, designer, docente e socio fondatore, insieme al primo direttivo ADI Sicilia, della delegazione regionale ADI (Associazione per il disegno industriale italiano). Da anni conduce attività finalizzate alla valorizzazione delle risorse territoriali locali sia come architetto, attraverso interventi di recupero architettonico, sia come designer operando per riattualizzare antiche produzioni sul territorio. Attuale presidente dell’ADI Sicilia, Castellana si pone l’obiettivo di mettere in comunicazione il mondo della piccola azienda e dell’artigianato con quello dei giovani progettisti provenienti dalle scuole d’arte e di design.
New design geographies. International workshops in Sicily
2012 seems to have been a relevant year for design in Sicily. From Giulio Iacchetti to Giovanni Levanti, the island has witnessed numerous designers who have been invited by different institutions for various projects, thereby bringing to it their own experience. What is actually going on? Why are designers starting to spend time in Sicily not only for their holidays but also for the purposes of design? Is there a new wave that is inverting general trends and the usual geography of design dynamics? Who promotes design on the island and why do they do it? The most active side has certainly been the education sector. Since 2000 the Design courses of the Faculty of Architecture in Palermo have promoted a lot of activities connected to the world of design and now other institutions have taken the initiative of starting to call designers to teach on the island. One of these institutions is Abadir Academy, a private institution authorized by the Education Ministry. Il 2012 sembra essere stato un anno in cui il design in Sicilia è stato presente in modo inaspettatamente costante. Da Giulio Iacchetti a Giovanni Levanti sono state numerose, infatti, le presenze di designer e progettisti che, invitati da istituzioni diverse, hanno frequentato l’isola per portarvi la propria esperienza del fare progetto. Cosa succede? Perché i designer cominciano a frequentare la Sicilia non più per trascorrere le vacanze ma per fare progetto? Esiste un’inversione di tendenza reale che capovolge e/o inverte le geografie del design? Chi sono i promotori del design nell’isola e perché lo fanno? Sicuramente il fronte più attivo di questo fenomeno è stato quello della formazione. Sin dai primi anni del 2000 il Corso di Disegno Industriale della Facoltà di Architettura di Palermo è stato motore dinamico di molte delle attività in Sicilia legate al design, e oggi altre realtà hanno intrapreso questo percorso e hanno cominciato a chiamare i designer a fare scuola nell’isola. Tra queste, l’Accademia Abadir è un’istituzione privata dedicata alla formazione legalmente riconosciuta dal Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca.
Design and new processes between culture and service
Places and services in Palermo are abuzz with new activities and processes. A territory almost devoid of industries, marked at the beginning of the 20th century by the Workshops Ducrot, seems to now have grasped the value of the word design and has begun to experiment with its various forms. The word Design (project) in the city candidate as ‘European Capital of Culture 2019’, is not only cool, fashion or for a few but has been transformed into: lab, creative industries, self-generation, service design, co-design.Luoghi e servizi a Palermo si animano con nuove attività e processi. Un territorio quasi privo d’industrie, segnato nel primo novecento dalle Officine Ducrot, sembra che oggi abbia recepito il valore della parola design e abbia iniziato a sperimentare le sue diverse forme. La parola Design (progetto) nella città candidata come “capitale europea della cultura 2019”, non è più soltanto cool, di moda o per pochi ma si è trasformata in : lab, imprese creative, autoproduzione, design dei servizi, co-design
Paolo Zaami. The flow of things
Paolo is an illustrator, graphic and product designer, born in Palermo in 1986 and currently based in Milan. Graduated in Industrial Design at University of Palermo, then he moved to Milan to follow a master’s degree in Design Innovation. In 2011 he collaborated with Marco Piva office, being part of several design projects for Vitrum, KME, Unopiù. In 2012 he worked at Total Tool studio, dealing with research and graphic design for A2A, Expo 2015, Barbanera. Currently he works at DINN! Design Innovation Studio in Milan where he brings his knowledge of graphic and product design, his vision and his aim of “doing it right”. Discreet, accurate and determined; keen about art, illustrations and plasticine. Moving around a multicultural and multidisciplinary planning dimension, he has learned that design is fusion of knowledge.Paolo Zaami è un illustratore, graphic e product designer, nato a Palermo nell’86, attualmente con sede a Milano. Laureato in Disegno Industriale all’università degli studi di Palermo, prosegue gli studi al Politecnico di Milano, dove consegue la laurea magistrale in Design per l’innovazione nel 2012. Durante il percorso professionale ha collaborato con lo studio Marco Piva, partecipando a concept design per Vitrum, KME, Unopiù e nel 2012 ha lavorato presso lo studio Total Tool, occupandosi di ricerca e graphic design per A2A, Expo 2015, Barbanera. Attualmente lavora presso lo studio DINN! a Milano, portando la sua esperienza in graphic e product design, la sua visione e la voglia di “far bene”. Riservato, meticoloso e tenace; appassionato di arte, illustrazioni e plastilina. Muovendosi in una dimensione progettuale multiculturale e multidisciplinare, ha imparato che il design è contaminazione dei saperi.
Eleonora Majorana. conDUCImi
Eleonora was born in Catania in 1984. After graduating in International Communication at the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures of the University of Catania with an experimental thesis titled “Graphic Design: between art and communication”, she has continued her studies in Barcelona at the University Elisava where she has obtained a Bachelor of Arts… Continua a leggere Eleonora Majorana. conDUCImi
Simona La Torre. The daily show
Born in Palermo, Simona is 26 year old. Her training is heterogeneous and transversal her approach to the project. She worked as a product, footwear and fashion designer. She started her training in Palermo where obtained her bachelor degrees in industrial design. Her first approach to the fashion design world is a Polo Ralph Lauren project,… Continua a leggere Simona La Torre. The daily show
Design and Entrepreneurship: Palermo in the Liberty age
We are in Palermo, 1899, two relevant characters, such as Ernesto Basile and Vittorio Ducrot, at first glance belonging to distant working fields, meet and clash each other, creating the first partnership between a designer and an entrepreneur in Italy. Instead of the past stylish models, we have now the inspiration from Nature: the vegetable organic strength becomes the model for the development of the ornamental line.Siamo a Palermo, 1899, due figure rilevanti, come quelle di Ernesto Basile e Vittorio Ducrot, in due ambiti lavorativi che sembrano distanti s’incontrano e scontrano, creando uno tra i primi sodalizi in Italia, tra la figura del designer e quella dell’imprenditore. Ai modelli stilistici passati si contrappone ora l’ispirazione alla natura: la forza organica vegetale diviene il modello dello sviluppo della linea ornamentale.
Interview with Odoardo Fioravanti
Marinella Ferrara: What changes have taken place in the profession of the 3rd millennium young designer, in comparison with the past, with the 1960s? Do you think that the present production delocalization and market globalization can affect the traditional relationship between design and industry? In what way? Odoardo Fioravanti: The designer’s job has radically changed,… Continua a leggere Interview with Odoardo Fioravanti
