A sculptural exploration of identity, heritage, and the future of electric mobility through the creative lens of artist Mattia Biagi and the design universe of Flying Flea. What happens when a motorcycle becomes a material memoir - and an electric brand becomes a cultural platform? Artist Mattia Biagi and Flying Flea’s Head of Brand Peter Beadle join MINDED to reveal how craft, symbolism, heritage, and innovation shaped MotoTotem, the first artist-led reinterpretation of the Flying Flea C6 unveiled during Paris Design Week. In this episode, Yuri Xavier speaks with Mattia Biagi, the Los Angeles–based artist known for his expressive material language, and with Flying Flea to explore how the C6 became a sculptural object that bridges past, present, and electric futures. Together they discuss the role of craft in mobility culture, the symbolism of the Flying Flea frame, and the cultural significance of the Artbike movement. Biagi reflects on how the collaboration became a memoir of his personal journey, incorporating Murano glass, Italian travertine, and leather embossed with the swallow motif. Peter expands the conversation into the brand’s broader creative vision: global activations, design-education partnerships, and an approach to mobility rooted in authenticity, heritage, and cultural storytelling. This conversation moves through craftsmanship, material identity, artistic collaboration, mobility design, and the evolution of future-facing brands - offering a rare view into how art and electric engineering collide to create something timeless. WHAT THIS EPISODE EXPLORES • How Mattia Biagi approached designing MotoTotem as a sculptural reinterpretation of the C6 • Why Flying Flea chose an artist to open its creative universe • The heritage story behind the original Flying Flea and its WWII origins • Material storytelling through stone, leather, glass, and electric identity • Why Paris remains a global hub for mobility, culture, and design • The role of authenticity in long-term creative work • How education and design schools shape next-generation creativity • The future of artist collaborations in mobility and product design • How storytelling elevates a brand beyond its product • The balance between restraint and expression in material craft YOU WILL ALSO LEARN • How a motorcycle can function as sculpture, narrative, and cultural object • Why young designers must master communication, not just creation • What it takes to integrate artisans, heritage materials, and industrial design • Why teamwork and cross-disciplinary thinking strengthen creative outcomes • How global brands build cultural ecosystems around product lines • How authentic design identity differs from trend-driven aesthetics • What books and films shape the creative perspectives of Biagi and Flying Flea • Who they recommend as a future guest for MINDED THEMES & KEY IDEAS 1. Craft as Identity in Contemporary Design Biagi approached the C6 not as a canvas to decorate but as a form to amplify. The challenge was restraint: enhancing the motorcycle’s clean design language without overpowering it. Material choices became a personal vocabulary - travertine, leather, resin, Murano glass - each representing a chapter of his story. Craft becomes identity. 2. The Flying Flea Heritage and Its Modern Rebirth Flying Flea draws its name from the WWII motorcycle dropped from planes to assist Allied forces. That history of bravery, resilience, and mobility shaped the modern brand’s ethos. The C6 keeps the original girder fork and frame silhouette, bridging heritage and innovation. The Artbike expands that mythology into contemporary culture. 3. Material Storytelling and Symbolic Language The MotoTotem design incorporates stone from the same quarry as the Colosseum, Murano glass blown by an eighty-year-old master, and leather embossed with the swallow, symbolizing migration and personal journey. Materials become narrative instruments, grounding an electric motorcycle
