Innovation and tradition: the forcola lamp by Carlo D'Urso
- 08 Jan, 2025
- Home , BeCreative
- 0 Comments
An icon of Venetian tradition shines brightly thanks to Creative Cables.
Forcole are deeply rooted in Venetian history. These wooden objects serve as rowlocks, allowing Venetian rowers to rest their oars and use the loops and edges as secondary levers to propel their boats forward. Standing upright, looking ahead, and fully in tune with their surroundings, rowers navigate the Venetian lagoon with ease.
It was during one such rowing session that Carlo D’Urso, a young Venetian artisan, was inspired to reimagine the familiar and iconic shape of the forcola in entirely new contexts.
While studying industrial product design at the Polytechnic University of Turin, D’Urso encountered Creative Cables for the first time. The shop on Via Mazzini played a crucial role in one of his university projects. Years later, he returned there seeking a lighting solution for a project where the forcola took center stage.
D’Urso is a member of Reborn Shapes, a collective of Venetian designers who develop projects tied to the region’s traditions, drawing on the forms and materials left over from artisanal production processes. For this project, he wanted to do more than replicate the forcola’s distinctive shape—he wanted to embody the culture of Venetian rowing and the craftsmanship behind it. To achieve this, he incorporated two types of production waste into the lamp’s structure: excess walnut wood removed during the carving of the forcole and copper mine shavings produced in the crafting of oars.
The forcola-inspired sculpture is made from transparent, 3D-printed PLA and was unveiled alongside the Reborn Shapes designers at Venice Design Week 2024. This annual event enlivens the city with workshops and thematic tours, allowing visitors to meet artisans and designers in their studios and experience Venetian craftsmanship firsthand. The event offers a cultural immersion in one of the most celebrated traditions of Made in Italy.
At VDW2024, international designers drew inspiration from the reflections of water and the legacy of Venetian glassmaking. To complete the lamp, the Plumen 002 20650 bulb was chosen—a design that won the ELLE Decoration British Design Award in 2014. Its water-drop-inspired shape was the perfect complement to the forcola lamp.
“It’s so beautiful, it could be a sculpture,” remarked a friend of D’Urso during a boat trip, admiring a newly commissioned forcola. Taking this sentiment to heart, D’Urso collaborated with Creative Cables to create a piece that seamlessly merges local heritage with a commitment to sustainability.
You must be logged in to post comments
0 Comments