BIG SEE Talks with Antonio Aricò
Q: Your pieces often feel joyful and whimsical. Do you approach design primarily as serious work, or is a sense of play an essential part of your creative process?
A: A sense of play is essential—but it’s never superficial.
Joy, irony, and a touch of magic come from the spontaneity of the gesture, but behind that lightness there’s always deep thought and careful study.
For me, design is a serious act of affection.
Q: You work with a wide variety of materials. Do you ever feel constrained by any of them, or do you find that each material offers its own source of inspiration?
A: I never feel constrained—each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.
Glass, wood, terracotta… they don’t resist me, they inspire me. I love listening to them, letting their nature guide the project.
At the same time, I like to play and “lighten them up”—I never take them too seriously.
I enjoy treating natural, traditional materials in a pop and contemporary way.
And I’ve always been drawn to real materials—the ones that age beautifully, that change with time and tell their own story.
“Each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.”
– Antonio Aricò

Q: Collaborations often shape a designer’s voice. How have different partnerships influenced your work—particularly your collaboration with Bottega Intreccio?
A: Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.
Working with Bottega Intreccio was a chance to engage with real craftsmanship, made of rhythm, patience, and hands that know exactly what they’re doing.
With Dondolina, we revisited a beautiful Italian archetype—a humble, vernacular rocking chair—and brought it into the present.
It was about balancing tradition with a light, contemporary touch. Nothing nostalgic, just a natural evolution of something familiar and dear.
It’s the same approach I followed with La Mattutina for Mulino Bianco, which was recently awarded at BIG SEE: I love taking simple, iconic shapes and letting them speak again, with new energy and meaning.
“Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.”
– Antonio Aricò

About the project
The Dondolina armchair brings together the slow rhythm of rural tradition, the earthy hues that shape the Italian landscape, and a deep respect for Mediterranean craftsmanship. Designed by Antonio Aricò for Bottega Intreccio, it blends poetic imagination with tactile materials and cultural memory.
Its solid, tobacco-colored wicker base gives it the presence of an ancient throne, while the tall backrest in woven metal canes recalls traditional reed structures, offering an elegant play of solids and voids as light passes through. A gently contoured armrest wraps around the back with a subtle gesture, inviting comfort and use. Three sculptural cushions, each with expressive detailing, complete the piece with a sense of warmth and artistry.
Dondolina celebrates the sweet, slow rhythm of idleness — with eyes turned to the sea and the heart open to deep emotion.






Antonio Aricò
Eclectic designer. Inventor of symbols. Creator of worlds.
Every work by Antonio Aricò bears the mark of his poetic vision, inspired by tradition, fantasy, romance, and the ancient.
His authorial production draws on dreamlike imagery and the blending of symbols and languages, taking shape in a range of objects and projects where design, art, and craftsmanship engage in dialogue — aiming to touch both the heart and the mind.
Project
DONDOLINA
Year of Completion:
2024
Location:
Italy
Contacts
Instagram:
@antonioarico
Website:
www.antonioarico.com
E-mail:
info@antonioarico.com
Likedin:
A. Aricò
ARICÒ
Photography and video:
Antonio Aricò
Edited by:
Blažka Drnovšek
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BIG SEE Talks with Antonio Aricò
Q: Your pieces often feel joyful and whimsical. Do you approach design primarily as serious work, or is a sense of play an essential part of your creative process?
A: A sense of play is essential—but it’s never superficial.
Joy, irony, and a touch of magic come from the spontaneity of the gesture, but behind that lightness there’s always deep thought and careful study.
For me, design is a serious act of affection.
Q: You work with a wide variety of materials. Do you ever feel constrained by any of them, or do you find that each material offers its own source of inspiration?
A: I never feel constrained—each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.
Glass, wood, terracotta… they don’t resist me, they inspire me. I love listening to them, letting their nature guide the project.
At the same time, I like to play and “lighten them up”—I never take them too seriously.
I enjoy treating natural, traditional materials in a pop and contemporary way.
And I’ve always been drawn to real materials—the ones that age beautifully, that change with time and tell their own story.
“Each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.”
– Antonio Aricò

Q: Collaborations often shape a designer’s voice. How have different partnerships influenced your work—particularly your collaboration with Bottega Intreccio?
A: Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.
Working with Bottega Intreccio was a chance to engage with real craftsmanship, made of rhythm, patience, and hands that know exactly what they’re doing.
With Dondolina, we revisited a beautiful Italian archetype—a humble, vernacular rocking chair—and brought it into the present.
It was about balancing tradition with a light, contemporary touch. Nothing nostalgic, just a natural evolution of something familiar and dear.
It’s the same approach I followed with La Mattutina for Mulino Bianco, which was recently awarded at BIG SEE: I love taking simple, iconic shapes and letting them speak again, with new energy and meaning.
“Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.”
– Antonio Aricò

About the project
The Dondolina armchair brings together the slow rhythm of rural tradition, the earthy hues that shape the Italian landscape, and a deep respect for Mediterranean craftsmanship. Designed by Antonio Aricò for Bottega Intreccio, it blends poetic imagination with tactile materials and cultural memory.
Its solid, tobacco-colored wicker base gives it the presence of an ancient throne, while the tall backrest in woven metal canes recalls traditional reed structures, offering an elegant play of solids and voids as light passes through. A gently contoured armrest wraps around the back with a subtle gesture, inviting comfort and use. Three sculptural cushions, each with expressive detailing, complete the piece with a sense of warmth and artistry.
Dondolina celebrates the sweet, slow rhythm of idleness — with eyes turned to the sea and the heart open to deep emotion.






Antonio Aricò
Eclectic designer. Inventor of symbols. Creator of worlds.
Every work by Antonio Aricò bears the mark of his poetic vision, inspired by tradition, fantasy, romance, and the ancient.
His authorial production draws on dreamlike imagery and the blending of symbols and languages, taking shape in a range of objects and projects where design, art, and craftsmanship engage in dialogue — aiming to touch both the heart and the mind.
Project
DONDOLINA
Year of Completion:
2024
Location:
Italy
Contacts
Instagram:
@antonioarico
Website:
www.antonioarico.com
E-mail:
info@antonioarico.com
Likedin:
A. Aricò
ARICÒ
Photography:
HELLER & DIMMER
Portrait photo:
Elisabeth Bauer
Edited by:
Blažka Drnovšek