Highlights from Milan Design Week & Salone del Mobile 2022, Part 02.
Milan Design Week and Salone Del Mobile have played a huge part in my work and life for over a decade. To that end, it’s difficult to express just what it was like to be back in one of my absolute favourite places in the world during what would have to be the city’s absolute prime—all after a pandemic-induced three-year hiatus.
Never before has the proverb “absence makes the heart grow fonder” been truer than this year. Being able to catch up with friends old and new, touch and experience products in person, and soak up the general Milan-ness—my, oh my—all of this was pure joy. Through a greater appreciation for personal connection and a healthy dose of gratitude from everyone, Milan delivered not just beauty and inspiration, but also a greater sense of wellbeing, healing and care—a much-needed respite from a solemn backdrop of the past two and a half years for us all.
Today we share Part 02 of our visual diary from Milan Design Week and Salone Del Mobile 2022, with amazing photographs by Nick capturing our epic design travels within and out of the city, and across to Rho Fiera too, bringing you our carefully chosen highlights from the ultimate global design event.
You can visit Part 01 of our photo diary, followed by a Part 03 article later this week that will fill in the blanks by sharing some of the product launch highlights too.
‘Bold’ space from Elle Decor Italia’s Design Forever installation at Palazzo Bovara, with incredible interiors by Calvi Brambilla.
‘Hybrid’ space from Elle Decor Italia’s ‘Design Forever’ installation at Palazzo Bovara.
Tactile walls at ‘Pure’ space within ‘Design Forever’ installation balanced the otherwise ‘cold’ aesthetic of this amazing room.
‘Mobile’ room featured mirrored walls and strips of coloured tiles that visually expanded the space. Don’t know about you, but I ache for this.
DIMORE CENTRALE
Dimoregallery presented Orizzonti, marking the relocation from its historic apartment on Via Solferino in the heart of Brera, to the new location on Via Giovanni Battista Sammartini, 63, a short distance from the iconic Milano Centrale railway station.
The relocation marks a new chapter for the gallery founded in 2014 by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran: evolution from a private residence of about 200 sqm to a vast 700 sqm museum-like space that showcases the best Italian and international designers of the Twentieth century.
In keeping with the concept of Via Solferino, Salci and Moran’s intention is to welcome visitors as if they were in their home, animating an urban space that seems to have come out of a painting by one of the most important urban landscape painters of the 1900s, Mario Sironi.
Their project for the 2022 Milan Design Week, dubbed Orizzonti, represented a promise, a hope and a concrete change that gives the gallery a museum feel. The cinematic experience welcomed the visitors into a space that recalls the Los Angeles glam.
An olive-green painted room is dedicated to the settings that act as a continuum with the Solferino gallery, where a Prouvé daybed, a large Caccia Dominioni desk and a Moroccan – embellished ceiling can be found.
TRIENNALE
The Museo del Design Italiano presents a permanent display of the most iconic pieces of Italian design, selected from the 1,600 items in the Triennale Milano collection. The works are accompanied by an in-depth analysis of the history and settings in which they were designed, in chronological scope ranging from the 1946 to 1981.
Directed by Cristoph Radl with a rocking soundtrack by Seth Troxler, ‘Memphis Again’ gave me a whole new level of appreciation for the short-lived by never forgotten design movement born in 1980. The exhibition presented more than 200 pieces of furniture and objects in chronological order, created from 1981 to 1986, in a space that felt a bit like a design nightclub. Quotes by critics, designers and architects were also projected on the walls.
Gufram celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of its most iconic pieces with Cactusrama, a dedicated exhibition that showcased 12 special editions of the cactus, providing a 360-degree view of Gufram’s nonconformist soul that inspired a number of creatives in the last decades.
Left: Cactusrama unveiled Gufram’s new collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation of Visual Arts. Above: Entry to Cactusrama at Triennale Milano.
BARANZATE ATELIERS
This year’s inaugural edition of Baranzate Ateliers saw the residents of Zaventem Ateliers in Belgium, along with a handful of special guests, activate one of the most remarkable places of Milan’s industrial heritage—an abandoned building that was once a Necchi factory in the Baranzate district.
International design gallery, Galerie Philia, presented never-before-seen works by Studiopepe, unveiled in a large, curated installation titled Temenos (Sanctuary in Ancient Greek).
Left: Planck by Jerome Pereira. Above: Timetable by Pierre de Valck, and Kairos by Morghen
Incredible tapestry by KRJST studio.
More from KRJST studio.
Left: Table by Mircea Anghel. Suspended light by Dim Atelier. Above: Woven metal sculpture by Adeline Halot.
Incredible works by the incredible Ben Storms, including his brand new cast glass table shown above.
Chatting to Lionel Jadot—designer and founder of Baranzate Ateliers in Milan (also the founder of the OG Zaventem Ateliers in Belgium). Stay tuned for more on this soon.
Left: A side table made from waste material (unfortunately, I’m not sure who the designer was—if you do, please let me know so we can update the caption). Above: Peeking through to Everyday Gallery’s space at Baranzate Ateliers.
NILUFAR DEPOT
Bonkers installation by Patrick Tuttofuoco “Out of Body”, in the courtyard of Nilufar Depot. In fact, the whole Nilufar experience felt bonkers amazing this year.
Too Much, Too Soon! by Andrés Reisinger—a bewitching, dream-like installation that took Reisinger’s signature aesthetic to new heights, staged inside Nina Yashar, founder of Nilufar gallery’s own office.
Scenes from Nilufar, with Nina Yashar making an appearance on the left.
Martino Gamper’s installation ‘Innesto (Rubbing up the wrong tree)’, curated by Nina Yashar, showcased an entirely new collection of rugs and furniture.
Another image of Nina walking through the Depot like a boss. I can’t get enough of this woman—she’s a goddess!
An entire room furnished in pieces by Bethan Laura Wood, which launched last year at Nilufar. See more here.
Craft Mania show curated by Studio Vedèt, with exhibition design by Space Caviar, revived ancient craftsmanship in contemporary rituals, showcasing works by Carlo Lorenzetti (bottom right), Etienne Marc (left and bottom left) and Odd Matter (above).
Straddling art and object design, extraordinary 3D printed pieces by Audrey Large explore the potential of digital image manipulation processes applied to the design of our material surroundings.
Left: Py night table and Caramel suspended light from Draga & Aurel’s brand new “The Candy Box” collection. Above: Mind-blowing 3D-printed and hand-finished low table by Flavie Audi.
MULLER VAN SEVEREN + LAILA GOHAR
A heart-melting moment from Villa Singer. Milano, I am yours forever!
Left: Egyptian-born, New York-based artist and chef Laila Gohar. Right: Belgian designers Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen of Muller Van Severen. The trio collaborated on the Pigeon Table (below)—”an object made out of love for food and service, being together, conviviality, and the pleasure of dining.”
Luka and his mama (that’s me), with our own signed copy of the Muller Van Severen book, courtesy of the divine Fien and Hannes.
TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES
Tajimi Custom Tiles’ world debut at Asaab One. In the words of The Weeknd: “This the shit that I live for”! See more here.
Kwangho Lee for Tajimi Custom Tiles.
Left: Detail of the new ceramic collection by the Bourloullecs, unveiled in Milan. Above: Max Lamb for Tajimi.
Tajimi Custom Tiles is a vibe.
STUDIO LUCA GUADAGNINO AT SPAZIO RT
Boom! Here we go again! Another killer moment, courtesy of Studio Luca Guadagnino’s Milan Design Week debut at Spazio RT, with a show dubbed ‘By the fire’ — two mirrored living rooms with different but complementary characters. So lit (get it?)