As a part of the Ljubljana Design Biennial 2017, titled Farawaysoclose – Bio25 and curated by Angela Rui and Maja Vardjan at the MAO Museum in Ljubljana, Odo Fioravanti teamed with the sea kayaker Marin Medak and with Bolleria Industrial, Luca Fattore, Juan Nicolas Paéz, Fabio Petronilli and Elisa Testori to research about the contemporary migration processes. In terms of the global issues that humanity has confronted in recent years, the classic hero might now be seen in the figure of the migrant. But if the traditional protocol of literature requires closing the circle of the journey with the homecoming of the hero, enriched by past conquests and current reunions with loved ones, today the journey has the appearance of a straight line, leading from one point to another, often with no real home left to return to. This transition has created a physical space of displacement, a theme to which the group members were asked to respond. 
Starting with the stark fact that since 2015 the number of migrants reaching EU shores has surpassed one million, the New Heroes team confronted the complex subject of migration in the current political climate, focusing especially on the European context and the Mediterranean Sea.  The designer wanted to  discuss the possibility of his discipline to make a real difference in this issue without active involvement of international politics and economic planning, and so the project focused on the idea of heroes and the tools heroes use for survival. If lances and shields, spears and bows defined the heroes of Greek and Latin mythology, what physical objects would future generations inherit as symbolic testament to the bravery of migrants?
Embracing the metaphorical level dictated by the conviction that objects can convey thoughts and awareness, the project, entitled Hephaestus and exhibited in MAO, presents a collection of five symbolic objects. The five “spears” are not functional objects, but are rather designed to look like industrial products, the results of mass production. The concealed statement of the project consists of its hand-made production – intended as a form of meditation -  which was mainly executed by Fioravanti himself in order to get closer to the theme by using the designer’s main tool: namely, design practise.

The Propeller symbolizes migrants’ need to cross the sea. Its shape represents a metamorphic object obtained by fusing the shapes of an immersion blender and an outboard motor. It is an oxymoron and a clash determined by the fusion of a domestic and familiar object with an engine lost in the middle of the sea.
The Forecaster refers to the constant risk that migrants will die because of adverse weather conditions. Whether crossing the sea or a desert, weather forecasting could keep them safe. The shape of the Forecaster combines some basic forecasting functions: a sort of thermometer, a horsehair barometer, and an anemometer.
The Connector refers to the way migrants use cell phones, social media, electricity, and technology in general. This object represents the idea of connection put together in a sort of dystopic shape. The many connectors and antennas result in an object that looks both tribal and high-tech.
The Carrier is a reminder that people fleeing their country bring with them just a few precious objects that represent what they are. This idea is transposed into a wheeled stick equipped with a bag, used to carry a few precious things.
The Feeder is a symbol of what it still means to die of hunger or thirst in 2017. Most of the time, drinking water is migrants’ primary need. This object represents a simple distiller that creates clean water from seawater or dirty water.

Still life photo credits: Leo Torri

Frames from the video by Fabio Petronilli