The project is dedicated to the figure of Paolo Ulian, one of the most influential contemporary designers in the Italian design scene.

In 1990 Ulian moved from Tuscany to Milan to work in the studio of the design master Enzo Mari, but at the end of that experience he decided to return to Massa, his hometown, immediately collaborating with local companies. A precursor of many research directions relevant to contemporary design, Ulian was among the first in Italy to work with waste from industrial processes, laying the foundations for what is now known as sustainable design. He is the author of what would later be defined as “semiotic design,” meaning objects whose primary purpose is to convey ethical messages or reflections on production and the waste of resources. He was also a precursor of an incomplete design approach, in which users are required to participate in the realization of the object: a way of understanding the discipline that would influence various experiences, such as the initiatives of OPOS and later groups like Droog Design and the Dutch school.

The documentary “Paolo Ulian. Slow Design,” lasting 37 minutes, was filmed in the places that most shaped the designer’s work: the sea of Massa, the Apuan Alps, the marble quarries near Carrara-Colonnata, and the Milan period. It was written by Tommaso Bovo (author and critic, professor of History and Criticism of Design), while the direction is by Stefano Decarli (director and professor of Multimedia Languages).

The aim of the project is to make materials available to the widest possible audience that reveal the spirit, vision, and values driving the interviewed designers, highlighting the most intimate and personal aspects of how they interpret life and design. We believe that design has too often remained confined to a circle of specialists, while it is in fact a living discipline whose story requires effective narration in order to become shared cultural heritage. The project stems from the conviction that speaking about design does not mean speaking only about objects, but above all about people.

Concept and writing: Tommaso Bovo.
Direction, cinematography and editing: Stefano Decarli.
Sound recording: Matteo Pettorali, Gabriele Cardinali.
Drone footage and second unit in Milan: Ștefan Heisu.
Runners: Vittoria Costagli, Laura Saetti, Raoul Vendali.
Production: ISIA Firenze, Tommaso Bovo, Stefano Decarli.
Filming at company locations: CAVE LAZZARESCHI S.a.s., MKM Stone Factory.
Special thanks to: Simone Paternich, Francesco Fumelli, UDB Studio, Daniele Kmet, Fabiola Lazzareschi, Alexandru Aionitoaie.