Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32301
SoloShow Design On/Site presents a snapshot of the most current work in contemporary design. Here we speak to five gallerists and designers to see what they’re bringing to the fair. BY TALI JAFFE Formafantasma’s Andrea Trimarchi (left) and Simone Farresin Libby Sellers presents Formafantasma We spoke with Formafantasma’s Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin about exploring tradition and culture through design. How do you feel about making the world’s Hot List of design talent? Well we of course feel really honored, especially because we admire both Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli, two women with an incredible open view on the design discipline. The list shows a greater view of design today, em- bracing really different talents and approaches. What is the origin of the name Formafantasma? We had this name in mind since we started working together at the very be- ginning. If you translate it in English, it means ghost shape. For us it de- scribes how our work is driven by a more conceptual approach. You work in a partnership, how do you divide responsibilities? Probably we have not yet found a perfect way of working. Everything is really organic and sometimes there are a lot of discussions. But that is also the nice part. When we work together we can communicate between us using ab- stract or undefined descriptions. We understand and trust each other. Working as a couple gives you the possibility to look at your work with more objectivity When did you two meet and when did you begin working together? We met during our B.A. in Florence, then we started working together and we ap- plied at the Master at Design Academy in Eindhoven as a team. It was the first time this was happening and the head of the IM Master Gijs Bakker, has been so open minded to understand this could work. We graduated with a joint project. 76 CULTURED Can you share a little about the work you’re presenting in Basel. What was the inspiration? How does it relate to your other work to date? Researching the relationship between the idea of local culture, cultural her- itage and objects, in Basel we are presenting an investigation on contemporary and past history using design as a medium. Almost as a key study we are par- ticularly directing our attention to the relationship between the countries of north Africa and Italy. The installation will be composed of a collection of ceramic vessels ‘Mould- ing Tradition’ and the three tapestry-like blankets ‘Colony’ that were com- missioned by the Textile Museum of Tilburg. With both the projects we are using the ability of object and decorations to be witnesses of the time, delivering to the user a different point of view in the interpretation of history. The projects are picturing the concept of national identity in its complexity and shows how locality can be found far from national borders. As designers we can say to be generally interested in the idea of tradition, even if with ‘Moulding Tradition’ and ‘Colony’ we are not only aiming to revisit our cultural heritage or disappearing craft techniques, but more to use de- sign as a medium to question how tradition works and to make a political statement on the control of migration flows and colonialist responsibilities.