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Francesco Ardini and Mazzucchelli:
Art in Acetate


 

The twentieth century has seen an ever-increasing synergy between the world of art and industrial realities. If on the one hand the industry has had the opportunity to draw on the beauty and aesthetics of works of art to draw inspiration and give new vigor to its products, on the other hand artists have been able to experiment with new forms of expression through the use of materials until then intended for different uses.

The choice of materials is of the utmost importance for the creation of the work of art. In fact, each material carries with it a story and tactile and visual characteristics that influence both the artist and the perception that the spectators will have of the work. It is precisely from this choice that the history and exclusivity of the product begin to take shape, which continue to live in those who create the work, in the person who will buy it and in those who produce the material this product is made of.

 

Francesco Ardini Mazzucchelli 1849 arte

 

Cellulose acetate is an example of how a material can be transformed into something unique, depending on the use the artist makes of it and the context in which it is reinterpreted. Francesco Ardini, a young contemporary artist from Padua, in love with sculpture and passionate about the plastic aspects of matter, understood this well. During his artistic career, initially focused on the use of ceramics of which he understood the potential and to which he managed to give an extraordinary lightness, he approached cellulose acetate and with it he produced unique specimens exploiting its incredible chromatic possibilities, extraordinary ductility and the incredible effects that can be obtained with it.

Constantly looking for inspiration and materials for his works, Francesco Ardini turned to Mazzucchelli in order to be able to access our laboratories and to be able to touch not only the materials but also the history and the profound nature of acetate told through the skilled hands of our artisans. As he himself pointed out, his works "tell what artisans do every day, the unique way they work with this material", he wanted to tell "the experience of these materials, of these artisans who work every day and interpret acetate in different colors and shapes". A unique opportunity, therefore, which saw the combination of the creative potential of cellulose acetate with the artist's spirit of innovation; the mixture of the know-how and experience of people who have acquired extraordinary skills in the use of acetate and the artist's desire to experiment with this material. Ardini has chosen to work with recycled materials as well, managing to give them new life, ennobling them through his art and transforming them into works of great symbolic and aesthetic value.

 

Francesco Ardini Mazzucchelli 1849 arte

 

The Mazzucchelli cellulose acetate works created by Francesco Ardini present this precious material outside its most usual context, eyewear, thanks to the skills that the artist has gained during his work experiences in this sector. His creative process passes through the exploration and reinterpretation of Mazzucchelli acetate as a noble and multifunctional material that allows infinite aesthetic expressions.

Mazzucchelli welcomed with great enthusiasm Ardini's proposal to use his acetate to explore new expressive frontiers in contemporary art. In fact, Mazzucchelli has always believed in the importance of art and culture, supporting, throughout its history, various projects aimed at promoting creativity and enhancing cultural heritage. For this reason, Francesco Ardini's ambitious and innovative project has become, also for Mazzucchelli, an opportunity to look beyond the boundaries of industrial production and to sanction the close relationship that binds it to the world of art, thus demonstrating that change can arise from the encounter between tradition and innovation, two worlds apparently distant but united by the desire to experiment.

 

Some of the works created by Francesco Ardini in Mazzucchelli's factory will be exhibited from October 24 to December 7, 2024 at the Candy Snake Gallery in Milan, in his solo exhibition.


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