Luca Gnizio - Eco Social Designer - L'impuro del Vittoriale

“V’empirò di meraviglia” (“I will fill you with wonder”): it was precisely the words of celebrated Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, taken from his work Laudi, that were selected as the title for the day of celebration dedicated to contemporary art which took place on May 18 at the Vittoriale degli Italiani, the museum-house - or more appropriately the museum-villa - of the Italian poet in Gardone Riviera on Lake Garda. For the occasion, on the lakeside of the town, named precisely D'Annunzio, the work titled “il solitario studioso” (The solitary scholar) by artist Alessandro Verdi was inaugurated, a bench dedicated to the poet to accommodate visitors intent on looking out over the lake. On the other hand, at the villa - the museum-house of the poet - a rather particular work titled L’Impuro del Vittoriale” (“The impurities of the Vittoriale”) was presented, created and designed by the designer, or rather eco-social artist, Luca Gnizio.

Eco-social designer or eco-social artist are most certainly the definitions that best describe this multifaceted artist. Two new professional figures contrived by the artist, as recognised on several occasions, including at the international level. Luca Gnizio has combined his artistic and technical training as an industrial designer, to a marked sensitivity and passion for the environment. Gnizio, who for nearly 10 years has dedicated himself to a design aimed at ecological and social support, transforms the production scraps of companies, the “precious waste” as architect Riccardo Dalisi referred to them, into a raw material. That which was waste, including in economic and not just environmental terms, becomes a resource with which Gnizio creates innovative artefacts made in collaboration with associations of disadvantaged groups.
Luca Gnizio’s work is characterised by a rigorous research, not limited to the study of the single “waste-producing” company. On the contrary, the eco-social artist develops ecological projects by aggregating different companies together, creating new synergies in the name of shared objectives, while also involving local associations from across the Italian territory in this creative journey. A design that combines a focus on reduced environmental impact, with a conscious and key ethical and social role. Work, which in parallel has attracted the interest of Italian and foreign critics, as well as a number of leading international companies from BMW to Levi Strauss, from Piaggio to X-bionic, to name just a few. In 2016, moreover, Luca Gnizio was the protagonist of OneNight, initiative dedicated to design as part of the event organised by the Floornature team for the FAB Architectural Bureau, the exhibition space of the Fiandre Architectural Surface brand of the Iris Ceramica Group.

For L'impuro del Vittoriale, Luca Gnizio took upon himself - and won - the challenge launched by Giordano Bruno Guerri, President of the Il Vittoriale degli Italiani Foundation, creating a work “made entirely from rubbish”.
Various works are in fact in progress at the complex, including the cleaning and restoration of the walls of the villa-museum, while in 2017 the work to restore the marble of the gate was completed, which had been blackened by time and smog and which has now been returned to its original colours, as well as other works in preparation for the Vittoriale's hundredth anniversary to be celebrated in 2021.
Luca Gnizio’s task has been to transform all the “impurities”, the rubbish that has been the result of the cleaning and restoration work, into a large Sculpture titled DannunziECO. Observed from a specific point of view, the sculpture in fact resembles the image of Gabriele D'Annunzio’s profile. In addition to the giant sculpture, a ring and 100 limited edition icons of D'Annunzio’s profile were created and sold exclusively in the Vittoriale bookshop.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Title: L'impuro del Vittoriale
Eco-social Artist: Luca Gnizio
Place: Vittoriale degli Italiani, Via Vittoriale, 12, Gardone Riviera (BS) Italy
Images courtesy of Luca Gnizio
Photo invite by Giuseppe Vezzoli

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