The concept of Crisis Design for Atelier2 comes up at the end of the first decade of this century, just in parallel with crisis economical, occupational and social evident to everyone.
The consideration is simple: how to get out of this moment of continuous production (overproduction) of goods for a consumer public now increasingly stifled and unable to react to this compulsive mechanism imposed by today’s society, seemingly fluid and intangible but extremely determined to materiality (materialism?), selling redundant and unnecessary objects.
Cultural references to possible re-use and re-elaboration of existing materials are evident in the outstanding works of famous designers like Campana brothers, Martino Gamper, Guido Scarabottolo (with whom, from years, Atelier2 has the chance to share workspaces and a great friendship) and so on, but also in the lesson of great Ettore Guatelli and his Museum “Il Bosco delle Cose” in Ozzano Taro, where Atelier2 associates have often been to wonder and learn.
Valentina Gallotti and Marco Imperadori imagine, in a crisis moment, to think about a kind of design immediate and coming from combinations and arrangements. To renovate damaged matter to give it back a usage, as did the peasants who were so dear to Guatelli. This way, matter comes to life and becomes an opportunity for young designers to conceive, for their customers, pieces unique and full of life and memory. It is a chance, in this moment, industrial and social, that doesn’t allow the design of serial pieces as it was in the past economic boom.
Crisis in Greek language means also transformation and opportunity. Transform objects which have lost their use or create some new usage to objects born with a different purpose is a poetic, offering endless creative and plastic opportunities, introducing a natural and unpretentious aesthetics, daughter of necessity and moderation, simple and popular but not devoid of elegance and style.