Riccardo Falcinelli's 'Figure' Explores Image Design from Renaissance to Instagram

Designer Riccardo Falcinelli's latest book 'Figure', published by Einaudi on October 6, 2020, has already gone into reprint. Following the success of 'Cromorama' (Einaudi, 2017), which sold record copies, Falcinelli continues his exploration of visual culture and perception. In an interview with Andrea Aufieri, Falcinelli discusses his trajectory from 'Guardare. Pensare. Progettare' (2011) through 'Critica portatile al visual design' (2014) to 'Cromorama' and now 'Figure', which he considers his most artistic work. The book examines how images are designed and perceived, spanning from Leon Battista Alberti to Instagram. Falcinelli notes that Instagram is treated as a contemporary technology, not a pop element. He cites influences such as John Berger, Hans Belting, Michael Baxandall, and Georges Didi-Huberman. The success of 'Cromorama', which sold like a thriller, surprised him; he attributes it partly to a more narrative prose style and a societal shift that created an audience for such books. Translations of 'Cromorama' have been published worldwide, especially in the US and Asia. Falcinelli mentions contemporary illustrators he admires: Gipi, Manuele Fior, and Simone Rea. He discusses the sinsemic approach in his book, where text and image are integrated, and reflects on the future of virtual reality in daily life. His next book is planned for 2023.