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.

Baci, Mama Yellowtrace X

COME TO OUR MILANTRACE TALKS!

Brisbane: Tuesday, 9 August 2022 (Evening Session)
Perth: Thursday, 11 August 2022 (Evening Session)
Sydney: Tuesday, 16 August 2022 (Lunchtime Session)
Sydney: Tuesday, 16 August 2022 (Evening Session)
Melbourne: Wednesday, 17 August 2022 (Lunchtime Session)
Melbourne: Wednesday, 17 August 2022 (Evening Session)

Highlights from Milan Design Week 2022, Part 01.

Part 01 of the visual diary from Milan Design Week 2022 captures our epic design travels through the city over the first couple of days.

ELLE DECOR ITALIA, DESIGN FOREVER

‘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?)

Details to die for by Studio Luca Guadagnino.

The other, mirrored side of ‘By the fire’ installation from Studio Luca Guadagnino. So good.

The entrance to Spazio RT.

SUNNEI X BLOC STUDIOS

Uber coolness, courtesy of SUNNEI X Bloc Studios’ collaboration that unveiled a series of marble objects, hosted within an installation designed by Studio Mare. See more here.

VIRGIL ABLOH X CASSINA

The central space of Cassina’s showroom on Via Durini was dedicated to Modular Imagination by Virgil Abloh—two different-sized, matt-black building blocks that can be combined to create, adapt and rebuild space based on the necessities of both public and domestic settings.

The late Virgil Abloh, a visionary of contemporary culture with a master’s degree in Architecture, worked alongside Cassina to envision this unique project that both questions and develops the design implications of modularity. Rooted within the elementary creative process of play, Modular Imagination is an open invitation to participate in configuring spaces and building new worlds.

TWENTY BY TOM DIXON

Tom Dixon hosted TWENTY at Palazzo Serbelloni—an exhibition celebrating 20 years of design and innovation by the British brand.

TWENTY focussed on innovation and materiality with 20 unseen creations on display, along with some of Tom’s most recognised collections, with some upgraded and others in embryonic experiment mode, providing future-focused thinking of Tom’s prolific portfolio and journey to becoming one of Britain’s most celebrated designers.

Highlights of TWENTY included a gigantic MELT Dichroic chandelier (left), which Tom referred to as the Instagram moment of the show.

Palazzo Serbelloni is where the British auction institution Sotheby’s has its Italian headquarters, with Tom’s exhibition coinciding with Sotheby’s first Italian design sale.

BASSAMFELLOWS

BassamFellows launched the Petal chair—the most advanced 3D moulded timber veneer chair ever put into commercial production. Petal takes some of its inspiration from Saarinen’s Tulip chair, also offering a dialogue with the history of the Eames experiments.

“We want to make the best for the most for the least,” Charles Eames said, and along with how liberating the technology of 3D timber veneer is, the financial realities of it are also a considerable factor. The Petal chair is state of the art and environmentally friendly, but the industrial nature of the process behind it, and its economic use of materials, make for a democratic price point.

FONDAZIONE VICO MAGISTRETTI

An inspiring visit to Fondazione Vico Magistretti, the studio where the great Italian designer worked throughout his life, alongside Franco Montella, the “Geometra Montella”, his extraordinary life-long assistant.

Details from Fondazione Vico Magistretti, with sketches, models, furniture and drawers—some of which belonged to Pier Giulio Magistretti, Vico’s father and first owner of the studio—with countless little details, even the cigarettes that recall the atmosphere of the studio where Vico and Franco spent many of their days.

CASA MUTINA

Casa Mutina hosted a visually arresting exhibition ‘Elementi per paesaggi’ developed by French artist Nathalie Du Pasquier, using the elements of Mattonelle Margherita tile collection that unleashed its decorative power.

TIME & STYLE

In the heart of Brera, Japanese brand Time & Style unveiled their exquisite new showroom, occupying the entire ground floor of a neoclassical building from the 1800s, complete with original arches, timber ceilings and floors. The showroom is divided into four parts—an exhibition area, a furniture zone, a tableware display created by Japanese artisans, plus a gallery.

Time & Style also unveiled a new furniture collection created by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.

EILEEN GREY/ CLASSICON

ClassiCon presented the Master Bedroom, designed in the 1920s by the visionary architect and designer, Eileen Gray, for her house E.1027 in Roquebrune on the Côte d’Azur. The exhibition featured a walk-in 1:1 replica of the room where visitors could experience the interplay of spatial proportions, materials, colours and furniture.

LEE BROOM

British designer Lee Broom does not muck around when it comes to his Milan presentations, and this year was no exception. Broom launched a series of six new lighting collections, marking the brand’s 15-year anniversary. Divine Inspiration is the first lighting release for the designer in four years, showcasing a series of new ethereal pieces in a range of materials including a limited-edition collection in white plaster which is hand crafted by the designer himself (shown above).

GIOPATO & COOMBES + HANNES PEER

Left: Giapato & Coombes unveiled the new Maehwa collection presented inside the site-specific installation “Into the Bloom”. Above: Back with Hannes Peer to film a quick interview. More to be unveiled at our Milantrace talks!

SALONE DEL MOBILE

Over at the main Furniture Fair in Rho, Sancal enlisted the help of Studiopepe (above and below) who conceptualised “Milanese splendour”—an avant-garde environment where pops of colour created striking contrasts against earthy tones.

Sancal also invited Swedish creative, Tekla Evelina Severin, who conceptualised “An apartment of one’s own”—a space that mixed the Scandinavian lifestyle with a Mediterranean flair, selecting furniture that is functional yet exuberant, underpinned with the use of colour blocks delivering a vibrant scene.

cc-tapis’ cool stand was designed by the very cool Barcelona-based architecture studio ARQUITECTURA-G.

No shortage of drool-worthy moments at antoniolupi (above and below), including these incredible translucent basins in polished and honed resin. Mind. Blown.

GAN stand was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

Embodying a new way of looking at waste, Nanimarquina’s stand was a display of transparency and sustainability, designed by the cool kids at ARQUITECTURA-G. Nanimarquina unveiled Re-Rug, a collection that emerged from the decision to use the wool leftovers generated by their suppliers. Each Re-Rug uses 1kg/m2 of reprocessed wool and therefore contributes directly to reducing unmanaged waste avoiding CO2 emissions, as no virgin material needs to be produced. 

e15 introduced the Onyx version of the HIROKI table by Philipp Mainzer (left); and the new ILMA lounge chair by Finnish designer Jonas Lutz (above).

Tacchini realness. Sorry, can you tell I’m running out of steam by now? I mean, can you blame me? Anyway, the stand was designed by Lorenzo Bini of Binocle studio, thank you very much.

Arflex was all about the 50th anniversary of the Outdoor version of the Marenco armchair and sofa, originally designed by Mario Marenco in 1967. Glorious!

Left: Soda blown glass tables by Yiannis Ghikas for Miniforms. Above: Gala seat by Cristina Celestino for Saba.

Left: A little moment from Baxter’s epic stand. Above: A little moment from De Sede, with DS-707 sofa by Philippe Malouin.

[Photography by Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.]