Francesco Faccin believes in design without boundaries, constantly and smoothly shifting between industrial production, independent production, community design and gallery work.
“I am interested in design that sparks connections, thought and debate, especially if they result from in-depth research that goes beyond the object itself. Design is a fantastic opportunity to deepen our relationship with the world around us. It allows us to connect fields and disciplines that are apparently incompatible."
Francesco Faccin was born in Milan in 1977. In 2004, after a 2-year collaboration with Enzo Mari, he began to work with model- and lute-maker Francesco Rivolta, learning sophisticated cabinet-making techniques. In 2007, he opened his studio in Milan. From 2009 to 2015, he was a consultant for Michele De Lucchi. In 2013, he was an “Italian Fellow” at the prestigious American Academy in Rome. In 2010, he won the Design Report Award and, in 2015, he received an honourable mention at the Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) award with the “Traverso” project. From 2014 to 2016, he was the art director at Fonderia Artistica Battaglia in Milan. He presented “Honey Factory”, an urban hive, at Expo 2015. In 2018, he started collaborating with Giustini/Stagetti with the “Anonimo Contemporaneo” collection. Francesco Faccin is a university professor at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Made Program in Syracuse (Sicily), and Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. He is also a visiting professor at many other Italian and international universities. Francesco Faccin Studio works with Italian and international design galleries, furnishing and lighting companies, public bodies and NGOs.
Below is a list of some of his flagship projects:
- “Made in slums” (2012), presented at the Milan Triennale. This project is an assortment of objects collected in a slum in Nairobi;
- 28 posti (2013), a restaurant based in Milan, commissioned by an NGO and built in collaboration with the inmates of the Bollate Penitentiary;
- Re-Fire-Kit (2014) is a kit for lighting a fire as primitives did. It’s an opportunity for reflecting on humans’ real needs;
- Honey Factory (2015) is an urban hive and food for thought about the human-nature relationship;
- Serial Planks (2016), a collection of bronze objects made by Fonderia Battaglia for Nilufar Gallery. Personal exhibition curated by Maria Cristina Didero;
- Anonimo Contemporaneo (2019) for Giustini/Stagetti. A project inspired by an anonymous chair as an opportunity for reflecting on the archetype.
His works have been featured in major international magazines.
In 2018, the UN selected his Honey Factory as a benchmark project with reference to the 17 Global Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
In 2019, Icon Design included him in the list of 100 most influential personalities selected from various creative fields.
PH. Credits. Omar Golli
