Design Connections 10x10 will return this year on Tuesday 19 September, showcasing a selection of the best emerging design talent in the UK. We caught up with speaker Andrea de Chirico to find out more about his practice. 

 Hi Andrea, tell us about yourself. . .

I’m Andrea de Chirico, I’m a 26 years old, I was born in Rome (IT) and I design objects and the systems around them. I was the designer in Residence for the Design Museum in 2016 and at the moment I’m a researcher at the University of Bolzano, in Italy. I like to design future scenarios for product manufacturing; new technologies are creating new possibilities to play with.

Let’s say I’m trying to design a momentum for the future of production. I like the fact that design is getting more political at the moment, and my work is nothing more than telling my position.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m developing a project dealing with the local production of everyday objects. This project is called SUPERLOCAL,. Every product is made using raw materials by craftsmen found within a 2km radius. To compliment this I organize production tours where small groups of people collect materials, meet local craftsmen and make an object all within a small local area. In addition, I give lectures around Europe to promote this way of manufacturing. You can find out more about at my website.

What key issues are you addressing with your work? What impact do you hope to see through your work?

Well, I try to rethink the way we produce goods by utilizing solely local resources and labor. I think that as designers we should try to challenge and suggest alternatives to the usual systems, wheater they’re productive, economic or social. Current systems are showing their weaknesses  - so either we redesign them or they’re going to collapse, and time is running out! Developments in technology mean that there is enormous potential for improvements both in production and consumption of everyday goods. Finally, to

Finally, to me, it is very exciting that design is constantly changing and redefining itself, and funnily enough, it can now exist without serving the industry by offering alternatives to it. 

Tell us about something you’ve seen that’s inspired you recently?

I recently visited Barcellona for the first time. I went to Casa Battlò from Gaudì and I really enjoyed it. Gaudi interpreted traditional Catalan styles and materials and pushed them to the extreme. The house stands out and fits into its context all at once. I would like to bring the same mentality towards my own practice. For instance, the two hair dryers I made last year in West London were inspired by traditional English porcelain tea sets from Wedgwood. I really like to reflect the traditional manufacturing style of a geographic area into an object. To achieve that makes me very proud.

To hear more about Andrea's work, join us on Facebook as we livestream the whole of Design Connections 10x10 from Second Home at 7pm on the 19 September.