Local plebiscites
Shared knowledge

SUPERLOCAL

Andrea De Chirico / 0 miles production

Acteur

Andrea de Chirico was born in Rome and is based in Milan (IT). He got a MA in Social Design at Design Academy Eindhoven and BA in Industrial Design at ISIA in Rome. His work focuses on the intersection between conventional, traditional and modern making. He designs tools, systems and objects with social and environmental awareness, always linked with a rigorous analysis of the context. His practice is open and accessible, creating a platform to connect with different groups internationally, remodelling everyday products for different contexts. Appointed as researcher at Free University of Bolzano from 2016 to 2019 and Designer in Residence 2016 for the Design Museum in London, Andrea’s work was exhibited in international design faires and museums, the Design Museum in London, the Triennale Design Museum, Z33 House for Contemporary Art among others. Andrea is lecturing in various Universities and Institutions such as University of Bolzano, NABA, University of West England, New Designers in London and Design Connections by the British Council.

Action

Superlocal envisions a world where the robots are taking care of repetitive mass-production, humans are dedicated to non-alienated uplifting labour. Therefore, by enjoying the great digital and analogical tools that are available, we make the objects we need. Superlocal 0 miles production invites the people to explore the world of local production by learning and making new production scenarios for daily life objects. Its Action of production happens not just to maximise efficiency but it addresses environmental and social viability. Over the last five years. local productions, production tours and lecturers have been organised in order to teach to the public how daily life products are made. In this way, production becomes a way of learning and to support participation. The project was initiated by Andrea de Chirico in 2015.

SUPERLOCAL workshop at Kalma, Roma 2020 © Flavia Baldini

SUPERLOCAL workshop for the Design Museum, London 2017 © Giona Fiorentino

STOOL 2.0, design together with Opendesk. 2016 London © Andrea de Chirico

The Stool comes from a collaboration with a London based studio called Opendesk. The production of the stool is designed to fit the West London area. It is made from plywood cut with the CNC in the Future Factory. The upholstered top is made with linen coming from the Cloth Shop, a traditional fabric supplier based in Portobello Road. The wood comes from local building sites which donate the wasted wood to local organization such as Goldfinger Factory, where the object was assembled. It is possible to make the object via a local production tour in West London area.

Superlocal 0 miles production invites the people to explore the world of local production by learning and making. They design new production scenarios for daily life objects with the belief that production happens not just to maximise efficiency but to address environmental and social viability. By bringing design, production and education into one methodology developed over the last five years, Superlocal organises local productions, production tours and lectures in order to teach to the public how daily life products are made. In this way, production becomes a way of learning and to support participation.

Together with various institutions such as the Design Academy Eindhoven (NL) EDHV Studio (NL) the University of Bolzano (IT) and the Design Museum (UK), they have organised a series of hands-on workshops to immerse visitors in a production experience and make them learn how to make products while getting to know specific geographic areas. Superlocal playground is the urban infrastructure, where they discover little workshops, meet craftsmen and local organisations, build connections between them and the public through the making of daily life objects. Their production area is always within a bike ride distance (2.5 km) and products are always made by a mix between digital and traditional manufacturing techniques. On the other hand, they always have a reclaimed component. The designers believe in the power of the networks as the new generators of economic and social value and together with an international community of craftsmen, design studios, students and organisations, they claim that understanding the production encourages a more sustainable evolution.