Carlo Forcolini
Carlo Forcolini was born in Como in 1947 and graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan in 1969. From that year on, he began an intense career as a designer and entrepreneur, taking part in the founding of Alias (1979) and Nemo (1992), companies for which he served as Chief Executive Officer and Art Director.
From 1978 to 1984 he lived in London, where he founded Alias U.K. and became Director of Artemide G.B. From 1983 onward, he participated in numerous international exhibitions and events in Madrid, Los Angeles, London, Hamburg, Cologne, Tokyo, Sydney, Santiago de Chile, Oslo, and many other cities.
Among the most significant exhibitions are I modi del progetto at the Museo Pignatelli Cortes in Naples in 1987; Design Alias dall’Italia in Moscow in 1989, held at the Soviet Foundation of Culture; and Creativitalia in Tokyo in 1990. He held solo exhibitions at the Permanente in Milan in 1991 (Immaginare le cose), in Innsbruck in 1996, and in Toronto and Brussels in 1997.
He has lectured and held seminars at numerous schools and universities, including the prestigious Graham Foundation in Chicago. His projects are part of the design collections of the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Design Museum of the Triennale di Milano.
He has designed furniture, lighting, and objects for Amar, Artemide, Alias, Cassina, BBB Bonacina, De Padova, Luceplan, Luci Italia, Gervasoni, Joint, Nemo, OYlight, Pomellato, Valenti, and Zumtobel Residential Lighting.
From 1995 to 2000 he served as Art Director of Pomellato S.p.A. In 1999 he founded Forcolini.Lab, a creative laboratory active across various fields of visual communication.
Among his exhibition designs are those for the Triennale di Milano, the exhibition La città e il Design, the design (with Franco Origoni) of the Alfa Romeo and Moto Guzzi Museum (2001), the travelling exhibition of the Triennale Design Museum (100 oggetti, 2001–2009), and in 2002 the exhibition Le città invisibili by Italo Calvino, curated with Thomas Berloffa, with music by Afterhours, for the installation Irene, City of Music.
In 2005 he became a founding partner of OYlight, where he serves as President and Art Director. From 2001 to 2007 he was National President of ADI – the Italian Association for Industrial Design. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Italian Design Council by appointment of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.
From 2008 to early 2009 he took part in the founding of Zumtobel Residential Lighting S.r.l., a new residential lighting division of the Austrian Zumtobel Group. In March 2009 he joined the Board of Directors of IED S.p.A. with responsibility for innovation and research.
From December 2009 he served as CEO of the IED Group, and in January 2012 he became Vice President. He lives and works in Milan.
Carlo Forcolini
Carlo Forcolini was born in Como in 1947 and graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan in 1969. From that year on, he began an intense career as a designer and entrepreneur, taking part in the founding of Alias (1979) and Nemo (1992), companies for which he served as Chief Executive Officer and Art Director.
From 1978 to 1984 he lived in London, where he founded Alias U.K. and became Director of Artemide G.B. From 1983 onward, he participated in numerous international exhibitions and events in Madrid, Los Angeles, London, Hamburg, Cologne, Tokyo, Sydney, Santiago de Chile, Oslo, and many other cities.
Among the most significant exhibitions are I modi del progetto at the Museo Pignatelli Cortes in Naples in 1987; Design Alias dall’Italia in Moscow in 1989, held at the Soviet Foundation of Culture; and Creativitalia in Tokyo in 1990. He held solo exhibitions at the Permanente in Milan in 1991 (Immaginare le cose), in Innsbruck in 1996, and in Toronto and Brussels in 1997.
He has lectured and held seminars at numerous schools and universities, including the prestigious Graham Foundation in Chicago. His projects are part of the design collections of the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Design Museum of the Triennale di Milano.
He has designed furniture, lighting, and objects for Amar, Artemide, Alias, Cassina, BBB Bonacina, De Padova, Luceplan, Luci Italia, Gervasoni, Joint, Nemo, OYlight, Pomellato, Valenti, and Zumtobel Residential Lighting.
From 1995 to 2000 he served as Art Director of Pomellato S.p.A. In 1999 he founded Forcolini.Lab, a creative laboratory active across various fields of visual communication.
Among his exhibition designs are those for the Triennale di Milano, the exhibition La città e il Design, the design (with Franco Origoni) of the Alfa Romeo and Moto Guzzi Museum (2001), the travelling exhibition of the Triennale Design Museum (100 oggetti, 2001–2009), and in 2002 the exhibition Le città invisibili by Italo Calvino, curated with Thomas Berloffa, with music by Afterhours, for the installation Irene, City of Music.
In 2005 he became a founding partner of OYlight, where he serves as President and Art Director. From 2001 to 2007 he was National President of ADI – the Italian Association for Industrial Design. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Italian Design Council by appointment of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.
From 2008 to early 2009 he took part in the founding of Zumtobel Residential Lighting S.r.l., a new residential lighting division of the Austrian Zumtobel Group. In March 2009 he joined the Board of Directors of IED S.p.A. with responsibility for innovation and research.
From December 2009 he served as CEO of the IED Group, and in January 2012 he became Vice President. He lives and works in Milan.
