Melani De Luca is a graphic designer, researcher, and artist. Her work is a critical reflection on contemporary cultural phenomena and their influence on society. She focuses on pop and visual culture, analysing social backgrounds connected to digital mass media. Her practice combines various media such as editorial design, sculpture, installation. In 2017 (first edition) and 2019 (second edition), she published her first book entitled Post-Butt, The Power of the Image with Onomatopee, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Melani De Luca holds an MA in Information Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven; she is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Design Sciences at Iuav, University of Venice, with research on working processes in visual identity projects and their potential augmentation through Machine Learning (ML). Through a deep focus on the creative process, her thesis proposes functional approaches to integrate the designer’s perspective on the development of new digital tools. The study reveals fruitful ways to augment identity design through ML rather than replace designers through automation.
She furthermore works as a lecturer in the BA Graphic Design and Digital Media at Abadir, Academy of Design and Visual Arts, Catania, Italy, and is a member of Ritmo, an independent cultural centre in Catania, Italy. Her commissioned work includes Art Direction, Branding and Identity, Editorial Design, Data Visualization, Web Design, Wayfinding.
Exhibitions
AI Threadscapes,
Milano Home, Rho Fiera
(IT)
Mizdruk, part of the permanent Werkmann collection, Groninger Musem
(NL)
Mizdruk, Post-Digital Letterpress Printing, Museum FBAUP, Porto
(PT)
Mizdruk, TDC65 Type Directors Club, Cooper Union, New York
(U.S.)
Post-Butt, solo exhibition, Parco Gallery, Milan
(IT)
Post-Butt, solo exhibition, Bruno, Venice
(IT)
Post-Butt, solo exhibition, Onomatopee Gallery, Eindhoven
(NL)
TV Clerici, Salone del Mobile, Palazzo Clerici, Milan
(IT)
Selected Press
Interni
Siteinspire
Best Dutch Books
Hover States
It’s Nice That
Vice
DesignBoom
Honors/Awards
Best Dutch Books, Student Selection, Amsterdam
(NL)
TDC, Certificate of Typographic Excellence, New York
(USA)
Published Books
Post-Butt, 2nd Edition
ISBN: 978-94-93148-02-4
Onomatopee, edition: 1000
Post-Butt, 1st Edition
ISBN: 978-94-91677-70-0
Onomatopee, edition: 800
Art Residencies
Frontyard, Artist Space, Sydney
(AU)
Teaching
Lecturer in Methods of Representation, Graphic Design BA at Abadir Academy, Catania
(IT)
Guest Lecturer, IUAV University, Venice
(IT)
Guest Lecturer, Parsons The New School For Design, New York
(USA)
Talks/Lectures
Capitalization of the image, Frontyard, Sydney
(AU)
Censorship in today's media, Parco Gallery, Milano
(IT)
How are media and design challenging sexuality? Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
(NL)
Thesis Supervision
VERO O DALL-E? Can the human eye distinguish between images generated by ML and real ones? by Benedetta Amantia, BA in Graphic Design and Digital Media, Abadir Academy, Catania
Balaclava, historical and contemporary implications, by Giorgia Ucciardello, BA in Graphic Design and Digital Media, Abadir Academy, Catania