Annotations cc: Vittorio Valigi

Vittorio Valigi, designer and visual artist, navigates the intersection of the intimate and the industrial, where personal narratives meet contemporary critique. Design carries the weight of our histories, questions, and the fragments of ourselves we choose to reveal. This conversation delves into the spaces where trauma takes form. As design continually revisits its own history, we reflect on the challenge of crafting something deliberate and truly necessary.

Anoe: Your recent exhibition, Flesh and Metal: A Prosthetic Decade, embodies the interplay of material and meaning. Through annotations, collaborations, and complementary narratives, it feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. What is the overarching theme, and what does it signify to you?

Vittorio: The exhibition marks ten years since I underwent osteointegration surgery, where the portion of my right femoral bone affected by cancer was removed and replaced with a titanium and silver implant. The red moquette floor symbolizes flesh, soft and vibrant, while the metallic artworks reflect the profound fascination with an imposed material. This project became a vehicle for processing a decade of grief and transformation, a way to close a chapter while sharing that experience with others. As part of the exhibition, I’ve also launched a fundraising initiative to support scientific research in the medical field.

A: The red moquette and metallic surfaces create a striking tension, a dialogue between the organic and the industrial. It’s unsettling, but that dissonance gives the work its emotional potency. I noticed the bench includes engraved phrases such as God Chose You. What inspired those words?

V: A psychotherapist I met during chemotherapy described me as a “soldier of God,” chosen to endure this path. It felt manipulative, even dismissive, and left a lasting impression. The edge of the seat features the phrase, Live your day as if it’s your last, and critiques toxic positivity and the relentless pressure to maximize life. The bench is designed in collaboration with artist duo Swedish Girls, and the phrases are laser-cut. Drawn from personal experiences, the phrases serve as paradoxical commentaries.

A: Paradoxical commentaries on hope and suffering. Design can provoke, inspire, and shift perspectives. Whatever the medium, our skills hold meaning when used with intention, if we’re willing to challenge the status quo. How does your work express your identity and values?

V: My work feels meaningful when it aligns with my identity. I strive to leave a lasting impact through what I design and produce, even if it contains elements of contradiction.

A: There’s a nostalgia in your work that feels grounded, not sentimental. You’ve mentioned being inspired by specific periods. Does that nostalgia shape your view of the future?

V: By nature, I lean toward pessimism. We’re living in what I call the “bootleg era,” where so much feels like a remix of the past, and truly original ideas seem scarce. Even so, I hold onto hope that we can push past this creative stagnation and bring something genuinely new to life. When I started H4X, my own studio, my goal was to bring a fresh perspective to contemporary culture, stepping away from the overly familiar. The concept of the office has always intrigued me. Outside its walls, life often feels chaotic, but within, I’ve created a space that’s thoughtfully organised. This has become my version of personal therapy.

A: I’ve been fascinated by the idea of the office, as its meaning has evolved significantly, from sleek corporate settings to coworking spaces and hybrid models. What does the office represent to you?

V: Offices are fascinating because they’re spaces of exchange — where conversations and ideas take shape. I draw inspiration from outdated corporate aesthetics, particularly their use of materials like metal, wood, and laminate. To me, these environments are vibrant, dynamic ideals.

A: Is there any office routine or etiquette you’ve integrated?

V: I enjoy printing out references and ideas, creating a physical connection to my work. Research is integral to my process. I collect books, objects, and vinyl records. Everything in my workspace is intentional and justified. I value routine. As part of my routine, I engage with my collection daily. I seek a tactile connection to my work, particularly since much of my output nowadays is digital. I have a guilty pleasure, a labeling machine. Every folder and project is appropriately labeled.

A: That physicality, the tactility of books, references, even labels, feels almost archival. Offices, in a sense, are systems of memory. They demand organization and backup, even in a digital world. Your exhibition too, is a response to a memory. The curatorial statement, describes your experience as: “The contradicting nature of my condition is one without solution — I know this as I toe the thin line between devotion and resentment, beauty and terror.“

V: This tension is ever-present and informs everything I develop.

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Text: Anoe Melliou
Artworks: Flesh, Vittorio Valigi; God Chose You, Vittorio Valigi + Swedish Girls; X-Truth, Vittorio Valigi + NM3; Research Table, Vittorio Valigi + (AB)Normal; Fleshwelding, Vittorio Valigi + Armature Globale.
Credits: Flesh and Metal, A Prosthetic Decade, at Display Spazio - Exhibition Views; H4X Studio Views; All Photography by Lorenzo Capelli.