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28/05/2020 | DESIGN, PEOPLE
THURSDAY'S INTERVIEW

JACOPO FOGGINI. ASTONISHING METHACRYLATE

Posted by: Gisella Borioli

Jacopo Foggini, more an artist than a designer, took possession of an unusual material, methacrylate, of which he fell in love when he was a child. He has made it the basis of his artisanal and exclusive production of beautiful, colorful, unique, theatrical, light and even gigantic objects. Free objects that follow the wings of the imagination and forged manually, with the material brought to more than 200 degrees. In 2004, he brought his dreamlike flowers with a soul of light and a monumental chandelier to Superstudio.

Where does the passion for methacrylate come from?
My passion for methacrylate, a material commonly used to produce machine reflectors, was born in family companies. One night, at the age of five, I snuck into the plastic materials factory and I saw a red drop of methacrylate coming out of the "nose" of one of the huge machines. Since then this material has entered my imagination, and like a seed, slowly over the years, it has grown to become my life. In the 90s I started to experiment with its creative use, fascinated by its chromatic and aesthetic qualities...

Jacopo Foggini, more an artist than a designer, took possession of an unusual material, methacrylate, of which he fell in love when he was a child. He has made it the basis of his artisanal and exclusive production of beautiful, colorful, unique, theatrical, light and even gigantic objects. Free objects that follow the wings of the imagination and forged manually, with the material brought to more than 200 degrees. In 2004, he brought his dreamlike flowers with a soul of light and a monumental chandelier to Superstudio.

Where does the passion for methacrylate come from?
My passion for methacrylate, a material commonly used to produce machine reflectors, was born in family companies. One night, at the age of five, I snuck into the plastic materials factory and I saw a red drop of methacrylate coming out of the "nose" of one of the huge machines. Since then this material has entered my imagination, and like a seed, slowly over the years, it has grown to become my life. In the 90s I started to experiment with its creative use, fascinated by its chromatic and aesthetic qualities.

Where does the inspiration come from?
The inspiration comes from the past, a wonderful container of ideas and projects with timeless charm.

Where do you love to see your fantastic objects installed?
Everywhere, from museums to large public spaces, from hotels to private residences.

Where do you place yourself as a category: craftsman artist or designer?
I move in that borderland between art and design without setting too many classification limits.

Where do you feel most comfortable, in manual skills or in technology?
My work is close to that of a craftsman, manual dexterity is the main component of my creations. Artisan quality has always been one of the cornerstones of my work. I only make one-of-a-kind pieces, which cannot be mass-produced and cannot be replicated. Edra, a company with which I have been working for several years, has helped me to make my wish come true, because it is committed to supporting creative work, with particular attention to the artisanal and manual component. Technology is a tool at the service of the creative process, we will need it more and more to promote new projects, to keep us connected and open to the world.

Where should design go?
The latest events have upset the world and the pillars on which our habits were based have collapsed. Design has a duty to adapt and provide solutions to these changes. The central theme will be sustainability: the pandemic we are overcoming is a warning from the planet. My work with methacrylate has always been based on recycling, plastic - often mistakenly demonized - offers infinite possibilities for reuse and transformation. I also think that design should find a local, more artisanal dimension and should think of lasting objects, that resist time and can be handed down from generation to generation, as it was for the objects of the past.

Where to find what you are looking for during the Fuorisalone?
Design Week is a very important period for every Designer who sees the work of a year come true and at the same time is the starting point for new ideas and new projects. However, I find that in the last few years the Fuorisalone has been a little bit "out of control": too many events and few really interesting things. I hope that in the future it will be rethought with greater selection and attention to quality.

Where do you like to live?
I like to live between Milan and Bobbio. Milan is the Italian metropolis par excellence, it is a city in constant evolution where different ethnic groups and cultures meet. Fashion, art and design always offer new stimuli for my work. I especially love the neighborhood where I live in, Porta Romana. It is a neighborhood full of small realities, green spaces and well connected and a meeting point with many of my closest friends. Bobbio, in Val Trebbia, is the place I chose to build my house. A magical place where to rejoin nature, find essential things, such as manual work, the care of plants and garden and the pleasure of cooking for friends.

“Nel Blu Dipinta di Blu” chairs for Edra, Musée d’Orsay 2014
"Shake", Fuorisalone in Milan, 2019
"Nuvola" installation in Mumbai
Detail

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