mario alessiani blends italian craft with technology in latest collection

designer mario alessiani took intricate craftsmanship into the tech world with the soul_tech collection. made of three different one-off pieces, the gadgets are designed to reference italian tradition in everyday technology, veering off from using plastics or mass production for the creation of appealing objects. 

the elegant collection includes a bluetooth speaker, a wireless charger for smartphones and a touch screen pen. the designer created the bluetooth speakers out of glass and weathering steel, the charger out of wood, copper and brass, and the pen comes either in brass or aluminium. while conventional speakers and bluetooth systems are easy to find, the designer believes carpenters, blacksmiths and other craftsmen can easily incorporate technology in their projects, resulting in aesthetic yet functional objects. 

mario alessiani shares that for him, ‘creating useful objects for our homes has always been the mission of master craftsmen. think of a lamp: there are thousands of handcrafted lamps that take advantage of the simple technology of the light bulb and give it a soul. but a craftsman, with his knowledge, can also give a soul to more complex and contemporary technological tools, of daily use.’ 

‘the objects I propose in this collection are the practical demonstration that craftsmanship can fully live the contemporary, taking advantage of the availability of everyday technologies to create aesthetically appreciable objects that we usually buy from multinationals and large industries that work with plastic and serial materials.’

project info:

designer: mario alessiani

collection: soul_tech

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom