Franco Perrotti: Drawing as a Narrative of Possibility

At Fabbrica del Vapore, a powerful and contemplative retrospective welcomes visitors into a universe where design and art do not oppose each other but coexist in harmony. It is a journey spanning forty years - a path marked by transitions, detours, and returns. When I Was a Designer is the sincere and unguarded statement of someone who has lived design as a form of research, not as a matter of style. Franco Perrotti, a radical and visionary spirit, draws from the deep well of Italian artisanal culture and the Milanese school of design. The exhibition unfolds through six thematic “stations,” each focusing on iconic collaborations and his relentless pursuit of a personal language that resists standardization. On the ground floor, the tone shifts: art takes center stage with sculptural installations such as The Dissuader, a monumental, allegorical pigeon - ironic, unsettling, and meticulously crafted. Here, the designer yields to the artist, fully aware that every form is also a critical reflection on the present. Perrotti creates objects with a soul and a “stomach,” as he puts it - designed to move, provoke, and question.
An authentic narrative, unbound by trends, where memory becomes living matter and form a necessary gesture.