Marionanni launches school for 'writers of light' in Bologna

Artist and lighting designer Mario Nanni, known as marionanni, has launched marionannischolé, a school in Bologna and Bentivoglio dedicated to training a new generation of 'scrittoredellaluce' (writers of light). The school, founded in 2025, offers a three-year course called 'progettarevocedelverboamare' and a master's program 'viaggiandopercostruirsi' that travels to eight Italian cities. Nanni, born in Lugo in 1955, founded Viabizzuno in 1994 and won the Compasso d'Oro in 2024 with Paolo Rizzato for the Figaroqua Figarolà lamp. The school's philosophy centers on 'metaluce'—light that transcends illumination to become art and thought. The Bologna campus is located in a historic 18th-century building at Via Santo Stefano 94, while the Bentivoglio campus is a new structure with a sundial and a skylight aligned with the summer solstice. The initiative is supported by the fondazionemarionanni, established on July 21, 2025, which acts as an incubator for projects bridging art, science, and light. Nanni cites Gabriele Basilico and AG Fronzoni as key influences. The school aims to revive Emilia-Romagna's postwar design legacy associated with Marcello Nizzoli, Dino Gavina, and Carlo Zauli.