Antonio Aricò on Design, Craft, and the Future of Making

Antonio Aricò, a 1983-born artist, designer, and creative director from Reggio Calabria, discusses his practice blending craft, industrial design, and emotional storytelling. After studying in Milan, Scotland, Australia, and Andalusia, he opened his studio in Milan in 2011. He has collaborated with Italian brands like Barilla, Seletti, Alessi, Bitossi, and Bialetti (artistic director in 2017). Aricò is known for merging artisanal techniques with industrial production, focusing on the romantic, fantastic, and archetypal. His works have been exhibited at Triennale di Milano, Holon Museum in Tel Aviv, NGV Melbourne, the Italian Ambassador's residence in Copenhagen, and Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. During the pandemic, he explored drawing as a creative outlet, leading to projects like Bicchiocolo (a cup+binoculars object), winner of a contest by Claudia Pignatale of Secondome gallery in Rome. He is the artistic director of the Materia Design Festival in Catanzaro, whose 5th edition (October 2-4, 2020) is titled 'Materia SOSPESA' and will use digital channels for live performances. Aricò cites inspiration from fashion and interiors rather than product design, naming Sara Ricciardi and Elena Salmistraro as peers. He recommends TIPstudio (Imma Matera and Tommaso Lucarini), winners of last year's Materia Design Festival. His dream project is 'Holiday Working', a studio in nature overlooking the Strait of Messina, hosting residencies for young designers.