For weeks now there has been only one topic of conversation here: the Milan Furniture Fair. Manufacturers and furniture dealers have been waiting impatiently for the curtain to rise on the world's most important design fair, which takes place at the exhibition center in Rho-Pero from April 17 through 22. Anybody who has not been able to get hold of any of the sought-after stand space in the halls built by Massimiliano Fuksas, or who is anyway looking for alternative showroom space, is moving into one of the numerous city districts in the off program, the "Fuori Salone". The best-known of these is the Zona Tortona, followed by the downtown area around the cathedral and the Brera Design District. A relative newcomer to the off venues is the Ventura Lambrate district, that has been involved in the fair for two years now.

Stylepark has sifted through the off program's packed events calendar and has made a selection. Enjoy!

Best regards, the Stylepark team

Alessi Shop Resort –lighting

In this newly-opened showroom, fitted out by Catalan designer Martí Guixé, Alessi is presenting its new luminaire collection, including designs by Fernando and Humberto Campana, Pier Paolo Pitacco, Mario Trimarchi and Andrea Morgante.

Alessi Shop Resort
Via Manzoni 14-16, Milan
April 17 through 21, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.; April 22, 10 a.m. through 7 p.m.
Cocktail party: April 16, 7 p.m. through 9 p.m.
www.alessi.com

Arper

Furniture manufacturer Arper came up with its first wooden chair collection "Saya" together with Spanish designer Lievore Altherr Molina. The company is showing process behind the new collection's genesis at its Milan showroom.

Arper Showroom
Via Pantano 30, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 9 p.m.
Cocktails: April 18, 6:30 p.m. through 10 p.m.
www.arper.com

Austrian Design

Taking as its motto "Raw and Delicate" the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is presenting a furniture show by designers from the country at a former sports complex in Milan, La Pelota, built in 1947.

Austrian Design – Raw and Delicate
La Pelota
Via Palermo 10, Milan
April 17 through 22, Tues. +Sat., 10 a.m. through 9 p.m.,Wed 10 a.m. through
7 p.m., Thurs. and Fri. 7 p.m. through midnight, Sun. 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
portal.wko.at

Design Dance – dancing through design history

Design history as the interplay of voices, bodies and objects is being presented in a dance show by Michela Marelli and Francesca Molteni for Cosmit, the organizer of the Milan Furniture Show.

Design Dance
Teatro dell'Arte, Triennale di Milano
Viale Alemagna 6, Milan
April 17 through 22, 8:30 p.m., also on April 21 and 22 at 4 p.m.
www.cosmit.it

Fare Lume. Candela tra arte e design.

As part of its project "Inventario", luminaire manufacturer Foscarini focuses on the candle as an historic source of light. The show curated by designer Beppe Finessi, "Fare Lume. Candela tra arte e design" (Producing light. The candle between art and design) is showing works by artists, designers and architects such as Bruno Munari, Philippe Starck and Sonia Pedrazzini at the Museo Poldi Pezzoli.

Fare Lume. Candela tra arte e design
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Via Manzoni 12, Milan
April 5 through May 21, 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Closed on Tuesdays
www.foscarini.it

Hermès – Module H

The furniture collection launched last year by French fashion label Hermès consists of furniture, fabrics and wallpaper. It is now complemented by an installation "Modul H" by Shigeru Ban, that acts as a partition or wall decoration.

Hermès – Modul H
Via San Carpoforo 9, Milan
April 18 through 21, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m., April 22, 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
www.hermes.com

Ingo Maurer

Lighting installations
Spazio Krizia, Via Manin 21, Milan
April 18 through 22, 11 a.m. through 9 p.m.
Opening: April 17, 8 p.m. through 10 p.m.
www.ingo-maurer.com

Japan Creative

The initiative "Japan Creative" aims at presenting the interplay of craftsmanship, technologies and industry and hopes to establish a worldwide network. Its first products have been produced with the assistance of international designers such as Jasper Morrison, Peter Marigold, Paul Cocksedge, Yongkyu Yoo, Inga Sempé and Nacho Carbonell.

Japan Creative
Museo Minguzzi
Via Palermo 11, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.
www.japancreative.jp

Kvadrat – Hallingdal 65

In 1965 Danish designer Nanna Ditzel produced the fabric "Hallingdal 65" for Swedish manufacturer Kvadrat. Seven curators including Tord Boontje, Ilse Crawford and Jeffrey Bernett have invited 32 young design studios from around the world to find new uses for the classic fabric and to exhibit them in Milan. The art directors responsible for staging these ideas are Patrizia Moroso and Giulio Ridolfo.

Hallingdal 65
Jil Sander Showroom
Via Luca Beltrami 5, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.
www.kvadrat.dk

Luminosity by Tom Dixon

At his show "Luminosity", British designer Tom Dixon is presenting a luminaire screen, "Etch Light Web", that combines engineering skills, mathematics and natural sciences and is intended to cast unusual shadows over the room. "Luminosity" is part of the exhibition "Most" at the Museum of Science and Technology, Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia, in Milan.

Additionally, sheet metal chairs and luminaires are being produced live for the museum restaurant and these will be given away to visitors on the last day of the exhibition. Foodies will be catered to by the Carpigiani Gelato University, which will be informing aficionados of Italian ice cream about the manufacturing process – and allowing them to taste them, too.

Most
Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia
Via Olona 6B, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 9 p.m., on Wednesday and Sunday,
10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
www.tomdixon.net

60 years of Moroso

In the Chinese signs of the zodiac the water dragon represents a cycle lasting 60 years. It also symbolizes strength, harmony and the ability to implement projects. A parallel that Italian furniture manufacturer Moroso has had interpreted by Chinese architect Zhang Ke in the form of an installation to mark the company's 60th anniversary.

Moroso Showroom
Via Pontaccio 8-10, Milan
April 17 through 22, 11 a.m. through 9 p.m.
Opening: April 17, 7 p.m.
www.moroso.it

Olympic torch by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby For the first time, the torch carrying the Olympic flame for the next Summer Games to London will be shown outside Great Britain. It was dreamt up by two British designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

Triennale di Milano
Viale Alemagna 6, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10:30 a.m. through 10 p.m.
www.barberosgerby.com

Piero Lissoni – Behind the Scene

The conversion of Milan's Teatro Nazionale is only one of architect Piero Lissoni's numerous achievements. Now a show of this Italian architect's complete works is on display in the theater's foyer, including architectural models and design projects for both industry and the world of graphic design.

Piero Lissoni – Behind the Scene
Teatro Nazionale, Piazza Piemonte 12, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
www.lissoniassociati.it

R 18 Ultra Chair – Public Beta

In a public test phase (public beta), Munich-based designers Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram are collecting data on the "R 18 Ultra Chair". Every visitor to the installation is invited to try out the carbon chair equipped with sensors that transmit the test person's every movement to a video screen. The project is being conducted in cooperation with the Audi Lightweight Design Center.

R 18 Ultra Chair – Public Beta
Palazzo Clerici – Via Clerici 5, Milan
April 17 through 22, 11 a.m. through 10 p.m.
www.kramweisshaar.com

Temporary Museum For New Design

Taking as its name "Temporary Museum For New Design", in Zona Tortona the Superstudio is presenting more than 40 manufacturers, with work by famous designers such as Italo Rota, Giulio Cappellini, Carlo Colombo, Fernando and Humberto Campana, plus Oki Sato of Nendo. A special area of 2,000 square meters has been devoted to young talents. Art director of the presentation is Giulio Cappellini.

Temporary Museum For New Design
Tortona Design Week 2012
Superstudio Più/Superstudio 13
Via Tortona, 27/Via Forcella 13, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 9 p.m.
www.superstudiogroup.com

Vitra Design Museum

The subject for Hella Jongerius, Konstantin Grcic, Juergen Bey, Julia Lohmann and other designers on April 18 from 2 p.m. through 5 p.m. at the Milan Triennale will be "Never Mind the Mainstream. About Industry and Experiment in Design". Vitra Design Museum's cooperation partner at this event is Premsela, the Dutch Institute of Fashion and Design.

Never Mind the Mainstream. About Industry and Experiment in Design
Triennale di Milano,
Teatro Agorà, 1st floor
Viale Alemagna 6, Milan
April 18, 2 p.m. through 5 p.m.
www.design-museum.de

World War III

A WWWIII 2010 blue cannon in the middle of the showroom is intended to symbolize 12 1/2 years of dynamic cooperation between Lensvelt, the Dutch manufacturer of furniture for the contract sector and the design bureau Atelier van Lieshout. At the same time, it calls to mind the kind of subjects that Dutch designer Joep van Lieshout is interested in: organizing work, power structures, revolution and independence.

World War III
Ventura Lambrate District
Spazio Camper
Via Privata Oslavia 1, Milan
April 17 through 22, 10 a.m. through 8 p.m., April 18, 10 a.m. through 10 p.m.
www.venturaprojects.com