Clattering tank tracks, any number of pigeons and a church for a dead artist: the Venice art biennial is once again a spectacular show. But this time much is far too sensitive, dripping in pathos and, despite there being several good pieces, essentially too harmless. Which begs the question: where is the international art world heading?

The Giardini are bursting with people, outside the pavilions there are long queues, and in the Arsenal you have to push to move. Even days before the official opening of the Art Biennial not only critics and journalists, but also any number of collectors, gallerists, museum folk, artists, functionaries and art lovers with deep pockets. And it was no easy matter to find each other if you wanted to meet up. Two of our authors tried to connect using text messaging. The result was a document of constant endeavor.

In the 1950s, architect Benjamin Thompson brought European design to the United States. His "Design Research" company thereupon became legendary. Nora Sobich talked to Jane Thompson, the architect's widow, in Boston.

Crisis or no crisis, Greece's landscapes not only enchant the locals, but countless tourists, too. Yet there is more to the country than beautiful beaches and olive groves. Have you ever counted the Monobloc chairs on your vacation snaps?

The 54th Art Biennial will open on June 4 in Venice. Even today, with artistic horizons having expanded on a huge scale and the Biennial taking the form of spectacle and event, it is still an important source of inspiration – not primarily, but also for design. Which is why we will be reporting in the coming weeks on the Biennial's main exhibitions and country pavilions.

There's not a child who does not know him and like playing him: Darth Vader. Which is no doubt why the fallen Jedi knight who has switched to the dark side in the Star Wars trilogy is the protagonist in a VW commercial originally shot for the US. Now Lord Vader has a rival.

The Monobloc chair is considered the epitome of mass furniture. For long treated derogatorily, recently a series of designers have focused firmly on it. The publication on "220°C Virus Monobloc" sheds light on all facets of this realignment.

"Axor Bouroullec" is a variable system of washbasins, storage units and fixtures. Thomas Wagner talked to Philippe Grohe, grandson of company founder Hans Grohe and manager of the "Axor" brand, about bathroom landscapes, the integration of the user and the future of the bathroom.

Year after year in spring, nature develops new energy, and consequently we prefer sitting outdoors. Many furniture manufacturers do not want to miss out on this and are increasingly offering products that are at once homely and weatherproof. Is it now the case that we like outdoor products indoors?

Nature and computers appear to have little in common. If you believe that, you should take a look in the App Store. These days, a veritable cornucopia is available for hikers and bikers.

Society is aging. And suddenly an item crops up again, which we believed – thanks to medical progress had disappeared for ever into the museum, private collections or the trekking supplies store: the stick.

Spring is back and the bicycle season starts. Should you want to buy a new vehicle, why not a custom-built one? Then a glance in the book "Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle" is certainly worthwhile.

On the occasion of the "Festival of Ideas for the New City", architectural specialist met up in New York City to discuss things, make art, and to party on the street? How will we move in the future? And will we all soon have compost facilities under our sinks?

Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani’s master plan foresees having the Novartis Campus building realized by various architects. The book series “Novartis Campus” documents the buildings in the large-scale Basle project that are now already standing.

Thanks to the last architecture biennial a new generation of Japanese architects became known in Europe. One of them was Sou Fujimoto, who previously drew attention with his “Tokyo Apartment” and the“Primitive Future House”. Ayako Kamozawa met Sou Fujimoto in Tokyo and talked to him about his concept of order.

The end of the traditional light bulb clobbered the luminaire industry, which is slowly recovering. At the Euroluce in Milan the clear trend was an effort to harmonize design and technology again.

An arrangement by Gerwald Rockenschaub of just under 400 motifs upon a 70-meter-long wall is currently on show at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. Is this a large, colorful picture, an advertising war or a semiological tsunami?

A folding chair, objects for everyday office use and eminently viable experiments with LEDs: At this year's Salone, Alberto Alessi offered glimpses into a treasure trove bursting with ideas and innovations.

Konstantin Grcic listens to Elvis, the Bouroullecs to Björk, Sam Hecht grew up listening to Depeche Mode, and Nitzan Cohen, as a music video, would be a mix of Chris Cunningham, Björk and El Gincho. In Milan, a fine exhibition not only displayed new chairs but also revealed the musical preferences of their designers.

The idiosyncratic name “kkaarrlls” is a smokescreen for the Karlsruhe’s design academy, the Hochschule für Gestaltung, or rather for Volker Albus and some young designers. They have now for the third time presented selected projects during the Milan Salone – which will soon go on show at Badisches Landesmuseum, too.

Be it limited editions or series products, jackets or protective goggles – during Milan's Design Week the Ventura Lambrate design district featured well-curated, surprising design displayed between fair-face concrete and car repair shops.

The New Museum’s “Festival of Ideas for the New City” examines – in cooperation with Stylepark and the der Audi Urban Future Initiative – the work of prominent architects as they grapple with questions of mobility and urbanism in a large-scale, three dimensional model of Manhattan along with five neighborhood-specific interventions designed by NYC-based architects.

Two years ago, Foscarini and Diesel presented their first luminaire collection. Initially, the joint venture struggled owing to the fallout from the global economic crisis, but now it is receiving feedback from a recovering market. Sandra Hofmeister spoke to Carlo Urbinati about luminaires between product design and fashion design.

Anyone who digressed from the well-trodden design paths at this year’s Salone in Milan could occasionally experience startling encounters. A small, subjective selection.

What does a luxurious kitchen look like these days? Is it there for show, or does it serve other purposes? "Shifting Contexts" was the motto of an evening at the Bulthaup showroom in Milan's via Durini.

Perhaps everything on show in Milan at the exhibition center in Rho, in the booths of Superstudio Più, in showrooms and back-yard workshops ultimately fits into four bags. Let’s see if it does. What would we write on the movable containers if we were to put in them the things we noticed among all the abundance?

Only 20 years ago the “jeunesse dorée” used to meet in the Zona Tortona. Nowadays the focus is on marketing the area and on advertising brands, careers, and ideas. There was still lots to see, though.

Jasper Morrison is the talk of town right now with his chair “HAL”. Thomas Edelmann met the British designer and spoke with him not about “HAL 9000” from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001. A Space Odyssey” but about maturing into adulthood, working in different locations, shell seats and designs that are conceived in discussions.

How much sense does it make to show prototypes of new products at a fair? Most producers face this question, yet seldom are their thoughts aired in public. However, when you make a point of asking, some of the answers that come to light are surprisingly honest.

Milan, viewed through a splintered mirror: everything that happened, what messages we had to endure, and what else ended up on our note pads. Or: scenes from the Salone, the showrooms and the rear courtyards.

Many of us dream of having a design classic in their living room. Yet often such dreams are simply beyond our budgets. Thus, the one or other lover of design flirts with an unlicensed copy of the desired object which he or she can order for little money on the Internet. We are taking stock of the value of creative achievement.

Times of crisis spawn new ideas, such was the consensus at Salone in Milan two years ago. Today the, back then, new, young furniture labelssuch as Skitch and Moustache, have matured somewhat. We take stock.

Boasting perfect details and serene comfort Hermès Maison came a clear winner. The company's tradition in craftsmanship, its finishing techniques for leather and fabric, combined with singular patterns constitute the brand's image in furniture as well. The collection was presented at Pelota hall in a house installation by Shigeru Ban.

Eco-management systems, eco-labels, sustainability certificates – the need for information on ecological aspects of production is growing by the day. Some companies, such as Italian manufacturer Arper, have already pinned proof of the eco-friendliness of their products to their masts.

Today, hotels are not hotels are not hotels. In cities such as Milan and Berlin, just being a hotel would not suffice to attract the necessary attention. Which is why "nhow" at Berlin's Osthafen has added a spectacular "superstructure" of studios, guitars, music clips, and a lot of pink courtesy of Karim Rashid. Without the singer of the same name, of course.