Marco Andrea Cacioni uses design to build a “queer underwater civilisation”

Sometimes when an artist works in the realm of contemporary graphic design, it can be hard to effectively push the boundary of visuals without making a piece look too busy or over complicated. London-based Marco Andrea Cacioni is a graphic designer who pushes the boundaries with incredible cohesive vision, straying from work that is too busy in favour of kinetic, vibrant pieces that all harmoniously blend together.

“Growing up in Rome exposed me to typography from the Roman square capitals, to the vernacular and street graffiti,” Marco tells It’s Nice That. “But also, the Baroque church style struck a chord with me: from their marble sculptural details, their stucco and their sinuous intertwined motifs, they seemed so theatrical and exaggerated and, most importantly, extremely camp.” Campness is a key element to Marco’s work, infiltrating the visuals to bring out queerness in every corner.

It was during Marco’s study of industrial design that they discovered their passion for materials and the “technological innovation necessary for the production of everyday objects”, they explain. These eclectic and colloquial inspirations informed the development of Marco’s more broader visual interests. “It led me to nature, Italian folklore and new technologies, following the work of Neri Oxman, Ernst Haeckel, Luigi Serafini and Björk,” the designer says. “I see their work as a cocktail of nature, fantasy, sci-fi, sensuality and femininity.” Marco's move to the cosmopolitan hub of London broadened the boundaries of their design practice. In the city's deep nightlife, they found a fusion of electronic music, fashion and, most importantly, queerness. “People like Sophie and Arca inspired me to create something that feels physical in the digital, or the real that defies natural laws,” says Marco. “As a result, lettering, 3D modelling and sculpting, and AI are currently my main tools.”

So far, that means Marco’s projects orbit around queer raves, music, fashion and pretty much “anything related to sexuality and gender”. It’s a new well of inspiration that allows Marco to tap into “the sensual, the tactile, the feminine and the abstract,” they explain. “Ultimately, I want my work to look as if a queer underwater civilisation built a new language made of unreadable characters and monolithic architecture.”