“Looking to the future without thinking about the past and without living in the present is the mistake that modern man makes time and again—until balance is lost, and the ability to coexist harmoniously with others, with things, and with dreams begins to fade. Today, once again, we find ourselves in this very condition.

It is our responsibility—and by ‘our,’ I mean all those who believe in the future—to reclaim that will to power that we naturally possess, to shout ‘enough,’ and to reactivate, through creativity and intelligence, all the survival mechanisms of thought.

We have been led to believe that between our brain and our hands, there must always be a tool to facilitate us. And now, they have given us a little box and a screen that is replacing our ability to think, to find answers, to solve problems, and even to dream freely—it does it all for us.

I firmly believe that looking back to the past, rediscovering techné in place of technology, and using natural intelligence instead of artificial intelligence is one of the few paths that can save us.

Think about it: when we type on a computer, our brain sends inputs to our hands without any filter, guided solely by our intelligence, which has learned to process and store experiences the moment it discovered the connection between mind and hands—those hands with a thumb and an index finger that set us so distinctly apart from the animal world. As a result, the computer remains external to our capabilities; it is merely a tool. So why do we feel such a strong need to make it capable of doing what it never truly can—to insert itself between our mind and our hands? Perhaps because we no longer want to make an effort, to get our hands dirty, to make mistakes, to appear vulnerable.

Well, let’s come to terms with it: we must get our hands dirty, make mistakes, and embrace our vulnerabilities. We must ignore the judgment of others and, with our heads held high, proclaim our pride in being artisans of what we wish to create.

Only we can create objects that are unique, exclusive, contemporary, beautiful, and useful. Only we can set trends rather than follow them. Only we can take joy in our work—because it is entirely our own. Only we can design the future.”

Alessandro Ciffo