An icon of Venetian tradition is illuminated thanks to Creative Cables.
Forcole are wooden objects deeply rooted in the history of Venice. They are the oarlocks on which Venetian rowers rest their oars, using the curves and edges of the forcola as secondary levers to push through the water. They navigate the lagoon standing up, facing forward, in perfect harmony with their surroundings.
And it was while rowing that Carlo D’Urso, a young Venetian artisan, came up with the idea of imagining that iconic and familiar shape in different contexts.
He studied industrial product design at the Polytechnic University of Turin, and it was there that he first came into contact with Creative Cables: the shop on Via Mazzini was crucial for one of his university projects, and years later, he went back there specifically to find a lighting solution for a project that would feature the forcola as the star.
D’Urso is in fact part of Reborn Shapes, a group of Venetian designers who have proposed a series of projects connected to the Venetian territory, using shapes and materials recovered from the production processes of local craftsmanship. Beyond the form, he wanted to bring something more from the culture of Venetian rowing and the craftsmanship that sustains this tradition. He therefore decided to include in the structure two types of scraps from two productions linked to Venetian rowing: waste walnut wood removed from the carving of the forcole, and ramin shavings from the making of oars.
The sculpture featuring the forcola is made of transparent PLA 3D printed material and was presented together with the designers of Reborn Sharpes at the Venice Design Week 2024, when the city comes alive with workshops and themed itineraries. Visitors meet designers and artisans in their studios, coming into direct contact with the world of local craftsmanship, in a cultural context that is one of the flagships of Made in Italy.
In this edition of VDW2024, the projects by international designers were inspired by the reflections of water and the Venetian glassmaking tradition. What better light bulb to complete the lamp than the Plumen002, winner of the ELLE Decoration British Design Award in 2014, whose shape is inspired by a drop of water?
"It’s so beautiful it could be a sculpture," a friend told D’urso while out boating, holding a newly commissioned forcola. And the craftsman took him at his word, creating a piece with Creative Cables components that brings together local culture and a focus on sustainability.
