Maurizio Altieri – m_moriabc
Article by
Cecilia Musmeci
Published
April 27, 2015
Photography
Cecilia Musmeci
Special Thanks
Maurizio Altieri
Patrick Stangbye
The research and analytical work of Maurizio Altieri has always been extensive and quite elaborated. Echoing similar ideas explored at Carpe Diem, the fully titled m_moriABC suggests an intriguing investigation on the nature of time.
The project, first presented by Altieri in 2012, is divided into three different moments: past, present and future, each of them represented by the alphabetical letters A B C, put in linear order to preserve continuity. Going back to the beginning of words and temporality, Maurizio Altieri reflects on what has been, he reinterprets what is going on nowadays and finally he sets the path for the things that will come after.
m_moriABC eschews all decoration not integral to the shoes' primal structure. The use of materials, working and tanning techniques evoke the staples of the shoemaking tradition, generally associated with a rather conservative bourgeois style. Altieri subverts those preconditions by twisting, re-writing and re-generating the classic cordwaining methods.
A reviews the potential that exists in the past without paying a simple nostalgic romantic homage. Altieri focuses on the values and techniques of tradition. Honoring the craft and the aesthetic of utilitarian footwear, A continues a forgotten era by cherishing what has been handed down through years yet changing it to make it part of its own heritage.
B meditates upon familiar shapes and ideas found in contemporary society. Through careful extraction Altieri deflects the lineage of contemporary footwear, and produces a coherent and streamlined representation.
C represents the future and it is thus inconclusive, setting the direction in which we move forward. Following the evolution of Avantindietro, C proposes a sleek silhouette and a lower heel. Altieri's analytical research moves forward through conceptually looking backwards.
m_moriABC laces are fused together to form an infinite loop with no end. The project pushes us to rediscover the past, understand the present and sense the future. By looking backwards we move forward in a cycle of endless repetition. Evolution happens through cumulative efforts that bring us back to the starting point, perhaps enriched, perhaps in late, perhaps in advance….
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