Once again, the Milan calendar is filled to the very brim. So it is all the more important to plan well in order to maximize the little time you get for the Salone with all its spin-offs, such as the EuroCucina, Salone Internazionale del Bagno, Salone Internazionale del Complemento d‘Arredo and the Salone Satellite, not to mention the events at the Fuorisalone and/or the Milan Design Week. What designers have teamed up with which manufacturers to launch special projects? Which exhibitions are quite simply musts? What does the 21st Triennale have to offer? What about a dance at the Design Pride Parade? Or who is serving what delicious drinks and fingerfood and where? And where’s there a good opportunity to be inspired over and beyond the pale of the design business? Take a look, as there’s lots to choose from! (mm)
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Axor: Create Your Own Spout David Adyjaye, Werner Aisslinger, Front, GamFratesi and Jean-Marie Massaud have taken up the invitation of Axor, the renowned bathroom fittings maker, and will be displaying their respective ideas of a water spout derived from the Axor U-Base at the Axor Showroom in Via Durini. Axor Showroom Duriniquindici |
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25 Years Grcic for Classicon To mark the 25th anniversary of Konstantin Grcic’s collaboration with Classicon, the Munich company has teamed up with Zurich’s Studio Achermann to stage a special “Edition Classicon/Grcic”: On show will be some of Grcic’s iconic designs, such as his “Pallas” table or the “Chaos” armchair. On display will also be his new “Ulisse” daybed and much more besides, and everything will be dipped in monochrome black. Spotti Milano |
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Mindcraft 16: Danish Design As last year, Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi are in 2016 again curating the Danish “Mindcraft” show, this time entitled “In My Mind Craft”. Along for the ride: Benandsebastian, Anne Dorthe Vester and Maria Bruun, Christina Schou Christensen, Rosa Tolnov, Clausen, Freya Dalsjø, Dark Matters, Yuki Ferdinandsen, Halstrøm-Odgaard, Ole Jensen, Irv Johnson Music, Marianne Krumbach, Akiko Kuwahata, Cecilie Manz, Nicholas Nybro, Vibeke Fonnesberg, Schmidt, Øivind Alexander Slaatto and Henrik Vibskov. Circolo Filologico Milanese |
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MINI Living: Those Who Share Have More The trend toward micro-apartments in metropolises continues unabated: And car marque MINI has locked it into – after all, the cars are likewise small but spacious. On the occasion of the Milan Design Week it is staging the “MINI Living”, an apartment with a 30 square meter footprint that features fold-out furniture. The heart of the matter: a large living room cum kitchen intended to encourage much interaction under the motto “Do Disturb”. The installation arose in collaboration with Japanese architecture studio ON Design and the international engineering consultants at Arup. Via Vigevano, 18 |
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Nendo: 50 Manga Chairs Oki Sato aka Nendo has created an exhibition that shows just what Manga comics can have to do with furniture design: By re-shaping 50 chairs with one and the same basic shape in line with the typical design elements of the Manga figures. Thus, the chairs “sweat” or “cry” – and they all have a reflective finish to mirror reality, the way Mangas in comics do. Facoltà Teologica dell’Italia Settentrionale |
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25 Years of Ron Arad for Moroso: Spring to Mind / Ron Tom Tom Moroso has selected not one but two venues to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its cooperation with Ron Arad, who created such striking pieces for the company as the “Tom Vac” chair or the “Spring” upholstered furniture line. The Moroso showroom presents his best-known designs, and at Milan’s university photographer Tom Vack displays his image of, with and about Ron Arad’s oeuvre. Moroso Showroom Ron Tom Tom |
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Domestic Dimension: the Castiglioni brother Since mid-February, the Achille Castiglione Fondazione has been hosting a show on the two brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni; it will run for three years. Located at the Fondazione’s building on Piazza Castello, this year the focus will be on “Ambiente di Soggiorno”, on living spaces. The exhibition is curated by Beppe Finessi. Fondazione Achille Castiglioni |
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A Matter of Perception: DAMN° and Mosca Partners at Palazzo Litta Once again, the journal DAMN° and Mosca Partners are holding court at Palazzo Litta, to which end they have brought architect Diébédo Francis Kéré onboard, who will be transforming the inner courtyard into a neo-African village. Inside the palazzo proper, on display will be works by Anton Alvarez, Andrea Branzi, Michele De Lucchi, Formafantasma, Jan Kath, Alberto Meda and many others, too. Palazzo Litta |
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Arita: 16 Designers, 16 Porcelain Collections No less than 16 designers have teamed up with 10 Japanese porcelain workshops in the Saga Prefecture in order to design more than 300 different pieces. They include Tomás Alonso, Scholten & Bajings, Big-Game, Kueng Caputo, Pauline Deltour, Saskia Diez, Stefan Diez, Shigeki Fujishiro, Christian Haas, Christien Meindertsma, Kirstie van Noort, Ingegerd Raman, Leon Ransmeier, Wieki Somers, TAF as well as Teruhiro Yanagihara. The exhibition is being flanked by works from the Asian Collection at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Via delle Erbe 2, |
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Atelier Oï: Casa Gifu Together with the Asano Shoten and Hida Sangyo workshops in the Japanese prefecture of Gifu, Swiss design trio Atelier Oï has launched a “Casa Gifu” in the very historical heart of Milan. The fruits of the collaboration: items of furniture and luminaires. Furthermore, Artemide and Danese will also be presenting their joint enterprise with Ozeki & Co there. Special Guest: Haru stuck-on design with special wallpapers made of paper strips. Via Loviano 6 |
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Caesarstone & Tom Dixon: The Restaurant Quartz specialist Caesarstone together with Tom Dixon are dishing up many a new insight at their “Restaurant”: To this end, in Milan’s Museo di Bambini (MUBA) Italian food design studio Arabeschi di Latte will be offering several special menus designed under the heading of “Power of Nature”. The trade-fair context: kitchen items with surfaces made by Ceasarstone and new luminaires by Tom Dixon. You can take part in one of the meals without any advance registration. La Rotonda della Besana |
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Seletti & Disaronno: Design Pride Parade The crazy Italians at Seletti have joined forces with the liqueur brand of Disaronno to create an extraordinary happening: In the 5Vie Design District in Milan’s venerable old town the evening of Wednesday April 13 will see the “Design Pride Parade” kick off, with floats, music and dance. And any number of design objects will “dance along”: Maurizio Cattellan’s “Middle Finger” for Seletti and the jars made by Studio Job for Disaronno – and much more besides. April 13, 7:30 p.m. – midnight |
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Hands On: the German Contribution to the 21st Milan Triennale Kindling young people’s enthusiasm for design: This is what the German Design Council and its associated foundation Stiftung Deutsches Designmuseum with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. In the form of a workshop project called “Hands on”. It will hold parallel to the Milan design Week at Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci and in the framework of the 21st Triennale. Designated designers will lead the workshops for kids and young adults. Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci |
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La Rinascente: A Search behind Appearances – Shadow Play For the third time, London’s Serpentine Galleries have teamed up with Milan’s La Rinascente department store – and have engaged the services of designer Hella Jongerius and Professor Louise Schouwenberg of Design Academy Eindhoven. Together, the two Dutch women will be staging the shop windows – with a “Shadow Play” of machines and fabrics. La Rinascente, |
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Kartell + Lapo: It’s a wrap! Garage Italia Customs interpret design objects by Kartell – with a wrapping technology to create a special “Capsule Collection” by Fiat heir and designer Lapo Elkann. Kartell Flagship Store |
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Luceplan: 30 Years of Costanza Luceplan is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Paolo Rizzatto’s “Costanza” luminaires. The festive occasion will be marked by 150 “Costanza” luminaires forming the numeral 30 at the Luceplan Showroom on Corso Monforte. Luceplan Showroom |
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Maarten Baas: New, Now, Here! Two years after the show “Baas in Town”, Maarten Baas is back in Milan, with a new installation called “New, Now, Here!” All the organizers are willing to reveal is: There’ll be a surprise! The show is being kindly supported by Groninger Museum. New, Now, Here! |
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Marni: Dance in the Ballroom Fashion also plays its part in the swirl of Milan design: Marni invites you to a “ballroom” with dances and a new Marni design line from Colombia, complete with outdoor tables, chairs and luminaires. To hold at its showroom on Viale Umbria. A marvelous opportunity to get to know Colombia’s “Cumbia” dance – needless to say, the dancers will be wearing Marni skirts and shawls! Marni Showroom |
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Matteo Thun Atelier Together with small Italian artisan workshops in Murano, Liguria and Tuscany, Matteo Thun is presenting his very own “Matteo Thun Atelier” collection. The extensive line includes upholstery groups, Chiavarini chairs, outdoor furniture, luminaires, ceramic and glass objects as well as prints that can be individualized, for example for use in hotels. Bredaquaranta Brerastore Salvatori Showroom |
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More From the Master Bicycle Makers: Più di Pegoretti Students at the State Academy of Visual Arts’ Design Dept. have teamed up with master bicycle maker Dario Pegoretti and, mentored by designer Uwe Fischer created no less than 15 exciting and surprising items relating to bicycles (from pannier bags to lamps). This joint effort with the prime Milanese bicycle manufacturers Rossignoli and on display there will set not just the pulses of the cycle enthusiasts among you racing. Rossignoli |
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21. Triennale di Milano: Stanze and Design after Design After a break of 20 years, the Triennale di Milano has been resurrected and will run from April 2 thru September 12, 2016. It will feature no less than 11 exhibitions, including numerous country contributions, and will take place not just at the Palazzo dell’Arte in the grounds of Milan’s Castle, but also at other venues, too. Three of them bear special mention: With the exhibition “21st Century. Design after Design” the Triennale seeks to lay the foundations for the culture of tomorrow. “Stanze. Nuovi paesaggi domestici” stages new scenarios for the interior of homes, and is curated by Beppe Finessi. And to top it all, Foscarini has created an installation entitled “Anni Luce, the Lumière’s journey through 25 years of history” which highlights all sorts of aspects of luminaires. XXI. Triennale di Milano |
