Milan design week

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    Panter & Tourron and Davide Rapp create “speakeasy-style secret lounge” in Milan

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    Experimental furniture and nostalgic films combine in Diurno, a Milan design week installation exploring the past and future of the living room.

    Curated by Gianmaria Sforza, the show features the work of Lausanne-based design studio Panter & Tourron and Italian video artist Davide Rapp.
    Purple curtains framed an octagonal roomIt saw a Milanese studio apartment transformed into a “speakeasy-style secret lounge” where a limited number of guests were invited into an octagonal room surrounded by purple curtains.
    Once they had swapped their shoes for slippers, guests were encouraged to get comfortable on a yellow sofa-bed hybrid. Here, they could chat to other guests, enjoy a drink and watch the montage-style videos playing around them.
    Guests wre invited to sit on a yellow sofa-bed hybridRapp produced three videos, with hundreds of clips that show living room interiors depicted primarily in Italian cinema.

    Each film focuses on a different piece of furniture. The sofa, the television and the bar are all featured.
    “Diurno is an invitation to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Milan’s design week, a speakeasy-style secret lounge where guests can relax in a setup that oscillates between nostalgia and science fiction,” said the design team.
    Other furniture included a tubular floor lamp, a curved display shelf and slender vasesPanter & Tourron founders Stefano Panterotto and Alexis Tourron developed six pieces of original furniture for the space.
    As well as the modular sofa platform, the Hall collection includes a lightweight chandelier, a tubular floor lamp, mirrored stools, a curved display shelf and slender vases.
    Drinks and snacks were served on mirrored traysThe duo hoped to draw attention to the changing nature of lounge and passage spaces in the home.
    The project has an affinity with another of their recent works, Couch in an Envelope, which imagines a sofa that can be folded up and carried from place to place.
    “Looking at the decors from gathering spaces like entrance halls, lobbies and lounge rooms, the pieces in the collection function like a reenactment element, questioning the evolution of these places today and our relationship to shared environments at large,” they said.

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    Drinks and snacks were served on matching mirrored trays, on linen cocktail coasters embroidered with the Diurno brand logo. These were produced in collaboration with La Colombarola.
    Danish textile brand Kvadrat, Italian steel manufacturer Fittinox and material supplier Formtech also donated materials to make the event possible.

    One of the videos featured movie clips of scenes that centred around a sofa
    This isn’t the first takeover of this apartment. Under the name Studio di Pittura, it is primarily an art space with the goal of facilitating collaboration between international and local creatives.
    Diurno was one of Dezeen’s pick of the 12 key installations on show for Milan design week.
    Diurno was open by appointment only from 13 to 20 April. See Dezeen Events Guide to discover our Milan design week guide, or for more architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Patrick Carroll presents knitted “paintings” at JW Anderson store

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      Artist Patrick Carroll has used recycled yarn to create hand-knitted painting-style pieces for the Days textile exhibition at JW Anderson’s Milan store during Milan design week.

      Carroll presented translucent artworks that look “as if they are paintings”, which were made using a 1970s flatbed domestic knitting machine and displayed on wooden stretcher bars – the skeleton of a traditional art canvas – in the store.
      Days is a textile exhibition by Patrick Carroll”My stuff is a little bit transparent – you can see the architecture of it all,” Carroll told Dezeen at the JW Anderson flagship store in Milan, where the work is exhibited in a show called Days.
      “I was making clothing initially,” he explained, donning one of his own pink creations.
      The pieces are on display at Milan’s JW Anderson storeCarroll decided to apply his practice to artworks, designing pieces made from yarn salvaged from remainder shops that liquidate the fashion industry’s leftover textiles rather than sourcing new materials.

      Recycled wool, linen, mohair, silk and cashmere all feature in the rectilinear works, which are finished in colours ranging from coral to aqua to ochre.
      They range from big to smallLike Carroll’s clothing, each piece was characterised by one or a handful of words lifted from sources including literature, existing artworks or the artist’s own writing.
      The smallest pieces in the collection were displayed on gridded shelving while larger pieces can be found on various walls throughout the store.
      When viewed together, the works were position to create a “modular chorus”, explained the artist, who encouraged viewers to form their own relationships with the words weaved into the textiles.

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      Days follows Carroll’s first collaboration with JW Anderson in 2022 when the artist designed seven knitted outfits for the brand. The clothes were worn by models posing on chunky blue plinths positioned outside the venue of JW Anderson’s Spring Summer 2023 menswear show in Milan.
      “I think what makes the works a little bit unique is that they have legs in all these disciplines – fashion, design and art,” added Carroll.
      Carroll’s artworks display a mix of single words and phrasesFounded by Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, JW Anderson previously created hoodies and tailored shorts moulded from plasticine for its Spring Summer 2024 womenswear show at London Fashion Week.
      Various other fashion brands have a presence at this year’s Milan design week. Hermès has created an installation that uses reclaimed bricks, slate, marble and terracotta to draw attention to the brand’s artisan roots while Marimekko has transformed a traditional Milanese bar into a flower-clad day-to-night cafe.
      The photography is courtesy of Patrick Carroll and JW Anderson. 
      Days is on display from 17 to 21 April 2024 at the JW Anderson store, Via Sant’Andrea 16, Milan. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Marimekko transforms “real Milanese institution” into flower-clad cafe

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      Jumbo poppies synonymous with Marimekko cover the floor of Bar Unikko, a pink-hued pop-up cafe created as a Milan design week pit stop to mark the print’s 60th anniversary.

      Named after Unikko, the recognisable poppy pattern designed by Maija Isola in 1964, the cafe is a pop-up project at Bar Stoppani in Milan.
      Bar Unikko is a collaboration between Marimekko and Apartamento magazineMarimekko purposefully left the interior layout of the cafe, which is a collaboration with interior design magazine Apartamento, largely untouched to create a contrast between the Finnish brand’s design language and traditional Italian eateries.
      “The idea was to really acknowledge where we are and find a real Milanese institution,” creative director Rebekka Bay told Dezeen at the cafe. “If that hadn’t been our intent, then we could have just taken on an empty space.”
      The cafe features poppy-clad awningBar Unikko is positioned on a corner site with a large pink and orange awning emblazoned with oversized poppies, which also feature on table umbrellas that create a striking landmark when approaching the cafe.

      “We’ve really taken the pattern out of its normal context and let it come to life in a whole new way,” added Bay, who described the contrast between Marimekko motifs and the existing bar interior as “refreshing”.
      “In the Nordics, we’re obsessed with cleanliness, systems and functionality,” she continued. “Whereas here, it’s dramatic and complex.”
      Oiva espresso cups were designed specifically for Bar UnikkoSpread across a single room, the interior kept its existing dark blue accents, burl wood panels, circular tables and a large bar positioned in front of mirrors.
      A neon poppy was placed above one of the tables, which were topped with gold Verner Panton Flowerpot lamps.
      The brand also added its signature pattern to the floor, characterised by poppies finished in two shades of pink, and a blue and yellow curtain at the back of the space.
      All of the crockery is Marimekko-brandedOther than these bold features, Bay explained that the Marimekko touches are found in the “little things”.
      Floral crockery, coasters, napkins and matches appear throughout Bar Unniko, which also includes Oiva – a collection of petite patterned espresso cups designed specifically for the takeover.
      “At first glance, you’re walking into a Milanese bar, and it doesn’t actually look like we’ve done much – but then the more you immerse yourself you start noticing these things,” said Bay.

      Printed textiles are “not just an accessory but something that can create a space” says Marimekko creative director

      Framed black and white photographs of the late Marimekko founder Armi Ratia were mounted to the walls as a nod to the brand’s history.
      Throughout the day, the changing light alters the pink glow that illuminates the interior while a shifting soundtrack signals the transition from morning to afternoon to evening.
      Bar Unikko is a day-to-night cafeBay explained that communal gathering is at the heart of Marimekko, which is why the brand chose to create a day-to-night cafe to celebrate 60 years of its well-known print.
      “Our founder famously said, I think at the beginning of Marimekko, that the brand could’ve been anything,” reflected the creative director. “Our mission is not only to bring joy to people’s lives but to bring people together.”
      Other highlights from this year’s edition of Milan design week include Faye Toogood’s Rude Arts Club exhibition, furniture made from reused skyscraper formwork and an inflatable gaming chair from IKEA.
      The photography is by Sean Davidson.
      Bar Unikko is open from 15 to 21 April 2024 at Bar Stoppani, Via Antonio Stoppani 15, 20129, Milan. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Triennale Milano celebrates Alessandro Mendini at Milan design week

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      Cultural institutions Triennale Milano and Fondation Cartier are hosting a retrospective show of Italian designer Alessandro Mendini at this year’s Milan design week, showcased in this video produced by Dezeen for Triennale.

      [embedded content]The exhibition takes place at Trienalle Milano
      Triennale Milano partnered with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain to host the exhibition, which explores Mendini’s work across the fields of architecture, art, design and theory.
      Titled Io Sono Un Drago (I am a dragon), the show brings together over 400 different works and intends to explore Mendini’s philosophical approach to the world around him.

      Mendini was an Italian architect and designer known for his role as a key figure in the radical design and postmodernist movements of the 1960s and ’70s.
      Through his 60-year career he created some of the most iconic design pieces of the 20th century, such as the Proust armchair, which combined baroque references with pointillist patterns. Mendini passed away at the age of 87 in February 2019.
      The exhibition is named after a self-portrait Mendini drew depicting himself as a dragonSplit into six thematic sections, the show looks back on Mendini’s life and work, with the first section, titled Identikit, showcasing a series of self-portraits Mendini created over the course of his life.
      The following sections explore aspects of his work including his firm Atelier Mendini, which designed buildings such as the Groninger Museum and the Arts metro stations in Naples, as well as exploring his research in radical design theory.
      The last section of the exhibition consists of three immersive installations that Mendini created towards the end of his life, which play with the concepts of dreams and nightmares.
      The exhibition covers Mendini’s contribution to the postmodernist design movementAs part of the wider exhibition, French designer Phillipe Starck will also debut an immersive installation created in homage to Mendini during the run of the design week.
      Titled What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini, the installation aims to take visitors into a sensory journey through Mendini’s subconscious.
      Speaking on the installation, Starck said “before being a human, [Mendini] was an idea, a sensation, an osmotic vibration that I wanted to recapture through the installation, conceived as an immersive experience in Alessandro Mendini’s brain”.
      Starck’s installation will be located in Triennale Milano’s Impluvium space.

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      Io Sono Un Drago is open to the public at the Trienalle Milano 13 April to 13 October. What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini runs from the 16 April- 13 October. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for Triennale as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here. 

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      V-Zug unveils neutral-toned showroom during Milan design week

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      Swiss homeware brand V-Zug has opened its inaugural Milan showroom, combining soft hues and natural materials with high-tech appliances, as captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

      Called V-Zug Studio Milan, the showroom was designed by Italian architect and interior designer Elisa Ossino to encapsulate a “poetic simplicity” through blending objects crafted from natural materials with appliances featuring reflective surfaces.
      [embedded content]V-Zug Studio Milan has opened its doors during Milan design week
      The studio showcases V-Zug’s homeware products and kitchen appliances, such as ovens, cooktops and steamers, which are contrasted by furniture pieces created by Ossino in collaboration with artist Henry Timi.
      According to V-Zug’s global interior art director Gabriel Castelló Pinyon, the open-plan interiors are designed to evoke a “sense of hospitality” for its visitors.

      V-Zug’s minimal Milan showroom showcases its home appliancesThe space is characterised by a neutral colour palette of soft hues, which create a subtle contrast with the materials incorporated throughout the space, such as sculpted stone and mirrored surfaces.
      The showroom is flooded with ample natural light emanating from large glazings, while an off-white monolithic staircase with large circular openings cuts through the space.
      The showroom features sculptural objects and artworks by Ossino and TimiOverlooking the Piazza San Marco, the studio marks the company’s flagship showroom located in Italy, following the recent openings of its studios across Germany, Austria and Australia.
      V-Zug Studio Milan is open to visitors from Monday to Friday during this year’s Milan design week.
      The showroom’s open-plan interiors are defined by a soft colour paletteIn addition to hosting a series of talks throughout the week, V-Zug has also created a sculptural installation titled Time and Matter at Pinacoteca di Brera, which further explores the relationship between human experiences, design and technology.
      See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for V-Zug as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Maria Vittoria Paggini’s gives her home “porno-chic” makeover for Milan design week

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      Designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has used colourful wallpaper and murals depicting nude bodies concealed behind peepholes to transform her home for Milan design week.

      Located in the 5vie design district in the heart of the city, Casa Ornella is annually redesigned by Vittoria Paggini who presents the project during Milan design week.
      This year, the property – which is also partly an art gallery, is themed “porno-chic”.
      Maria Vittoria Paggini has redesigned her home around the theme of “porno-chic””Casa Ornella is a maximalist house” said the designer, who is opening up her home to the public during the week.
      “Porno-chic stems from a strong need for rediscovery and self-awareness. To achieve this, I felt the need to bare myself and decided to use the metaphor of the naked body, pushing it to the extreme to make it invisible to the eyes,” she told Dezeen.

      “Going beyond that, porno-chic aims to be a style of ‘rebirth,’ a recognition of oneself through the home or any place to inhabit.”
      Tatiana Brodatch’s graphic wallpaper features in the living spaceThe interiors feature a living space characterised by artist Tatiana Brodatch’s striking wallpaper. Oversized spots and stripes in pink and purple hues form the backdrop for images of faceless, nude male sculptures touching themselves.
      Finished in Brodatch’s signature lumpy plasticine, the figures look like they are flying through space.
      Illustrative nude bodies decorate brown curtainsTwo boothlike, art deco armchairs with burl wood casing were positioned next to this feature wall, as well as a translucent table designed by Vittoria Paggini and topped with twisting, marble and Murano glass candelabras by Aina Kari.
      Visitors can see Brodatch’s wallpaper through a circular peephole on one of the corridors, which adds to the “sensual” atmosphere of the home, according to the designer.
      A naked mural lines one of the corridorsElsewhere, brown curtains illustrated with naked female bodies and a small but suggestive figurative sculpture sitting on a silver tray are reflected in a swollen gold mirror.
      One corridor is characterised by a large-scale floor mural of a nude woman, created as a set of abstract brown and pink shapes.
      The only private room is the bedroomThe only room not open to the public is the bedroom, which is decorated with a graphic, floor-to-ceiling mural of naked men surrounded by decadent architecture, influenced by 13th-century paintings.
      Visitors can view the bedroom mural, created by Milanese illustrator Damiano Groppi, through another peephole.
      A peephole reveals the room’s muralSugary pink walls, striped and chequerboard accents and multiple mirrored surfaces throughout the home add to its maximalist design.
      Casa Ornella also includes two more Vittoria Paggini-designed products, which are being debuted for the design week and take cues from “the world of jewellery”.

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      These are bulbous gold taps created for Milanese brand Manoli – positioned above veiny Gio Ponti basins in the bathroom – and slender light switches designed for Officine Morelli.
      According to Vittoria Paggini, these pieces are “what is most characteristic of the porno-chic style”.
      “They serve two different functions but have the same language that aims to communicate sensuality and timeless elegance.”
      Sugary pink walls feature throughout the homeThe annual Milan design week has kicked off in the Italian city, with projects on display ranging from a collection of everyday objects designed using algae and sculptural lights by Leo Maher that reference “a hot-pot of queer culture”.
      The photography is courtesy of Maria Vittoria Paggini.
      Casa Ornella is on display at Via Conca di Naviglio 10, Milan, during Milan Design Week from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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      Daisuke Yamamoto presents recycled steel chairs under Milan railway arch

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      Japanese designer Daisuke Yamamoto presented recycled steel chairs on podiums of the same material as part of an exhibition in Milan, which has been shortlisted for a 2023 Dezeen Award.

      Yamamoto’s Flow project explores ways to minimise industrial waste by focusing on a single material – light-gauge steel (LGS).
      Daisuke Yamamoto presented his Flow chairs as part of the Dropcity showcaseCommonly used in construction as a strong, lightweight framing option, LGS is also one of the industry’s largest waste products, Yamamoto claims, as it is rarely recycled after demolition.
      The designer therefore chose to create a second life for the steel sheets and components as a series of sculptural chairs.
      The chairs were placed on podiums made from the same light-gauge steelHe also used LGS to form platforms for showcasing the seating designs as part of an exhibition at Milan design week 2023 that has been shortlisted in the exhibition design category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

      “This project began with the awareness that everyday recycled construction materials are disposed of, then new construction begins – a so-called ‘scrap and build’,” Yamamoto said.
      Each of the recycled steel chairs had a different form”Using the iconic LGS material – one of the most popular materials normally used in framing systems throughout the interior wall structure – we transformed it into beautifully redesigned furniture, giving the materials a second chance,” he added.
      The exhibition formed part of the Dropcity showcase, which took place inside the Magazzini Raccordati spaces at Milan Central Station during the design week in April.
      A workshop bench was also placed at the centre of the spaceThese empty railway arches have a dilapidated, industrial aesthetic with peeling floors, stained tilework and exposed utilities.
      Yamamoto chose to leave the vaulted room largely as he found it but placed a series of platforms in two rows, upon which he presented the series of chairs.

      Six key trends from Milan design week 2023

      Track lighting was installed overhead to spotlight the elevated designs, each of which has a slightly different shape.
      In the centre of the exhibition, a workshop bench also built from lightweight gauge steel was used to fabricate more chairs during live demonstrations between Yamamoto and craft artist Takeo Masui.
      Yamamoto and Takeo Masui built more recycled steel chairs during live demonstrations”This is a landfill, a place where a volume of used LGS is collected,” Yamamoto said. “A place where the designer and craftsmen work hand in hand to recreate what was bound to be disposed into something new, a process of disassembling to re-assemble.”
      The intention was to not only showcase the material’s capabilities for reuse but also to allow visitors to engage with the process and ask wider questions about how society deals with waste.
      The demonstrations allowed visitors to engage with the processUsing waste materials produced by other industries was a key trend that Dezeen spotted during this year’s Milan Design Week, with designers and studios including Formafantasma, Prowl Studio, Atelier Luma and Subin Seol all looking to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
      The photography is by Takumi Ota.
      Future Landfill took place at Magazzini Raccordati from 15 to 23 April 2023 as part of Milan Design Week. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Markus Benesch designs Alpine home for fabled “tuntschi” doll

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      A vengeful doll from an Alpine folk tale was the imagined occupant of this colourful cabin-style home created by German designer Markus Benesch at Milan design week.

      The maximalist Alpine Rising installation featured decorative Alpine-style furniture and multi-coloured wall coverings, all filled with references to life in the mountains.
      Benesch developed the design after becoming fascinated by the fabled character of the “tuntschi” doll.
      The exhibition featured Alpine-style furniture and multi-coloured wall coveringsAccording to the story, the tuntschi is fashioned out of wood, straw and cloth by herdsmen who spend the summer tending cattle on the mountain and crave female company.
      The doll comes to life, yet the herdsmen continue to objectify her. So when the time comes for them to return home, she takes murderous revenge on one of them.

      This got Benesch thinking about what happens after the story finishes.
      Stui dining chairs and Hockerl stools both combine ash wood with colourful resin”I wondered, what is this doll doing when she is alone in the wintertime?” he told Dezeen. “I thought, maybe she has the time of her life.”
      One of the starting points for the design was to think about the types of pastimes that the doll might enjoy.
      The Tuntschis Chapel cabinet is based on traditional Alpine architectureOne idea was that she might ski. This resulted in swirling motifs – reminiscent of snow tracks – that appeared throughout, plus a pair of bespoke skis.
      Benesch also thought the doll might take up pottery, which led him to the work of Austrian ceramicist Florian Tanzer, founder of Vienna-based studio Luma Launisch.

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      Tanzer’s rough and enigmatic ceramics often depict unusual characters.
      For Alpine Rising, he created vases and vessels that integrate the face of the tuntschi. Some pieces had more than one face, in reference to her two-faced nature.
      The wallpaper combines images of wooden shingles with different colours and tonesBenesch and his small-production furniture, textile and wallpaper company Curious Boy created a completely custom interior for the tuntschi’s Alpine cabin.
      Divided into rooms, it was filled with farmhouse-style furniture pieces that combined traditional Alpine woodcraft with colourful motifs typical of Benesch’s designs.
      Benesch creates these patterns by inlaying wood with pigmented resin.
      The zigzag-patterned Hochzeitsschrank wardrobe was crafted from pineIn ash wood, designs on show included the cabin-style Tuntschis cabinet, the elaborate Himmibed and the playful Stui dining chairs.
      Walnut was used for the amorphous Splügen lamp, while the zigzag-patterned Hochzeitsschrank wardrobe was crafted from pine.
      Florian Tanzer created ceramics that refer to the two-faced nature of the dollFor the wallpaper and textiles, Benesch created repeating patterns using images of wooden shingles that typically clad Alpine chalets, then overlaid them with various colours and tones.
      Underlying the entire design was an idea about getting away from today’s digital world and the harmful effects it can have on mental health, and instead celebrating “an analogue lifestyle”.
      Benesch also produced hand-carved ash and walnut spoonsThis idea was emphasised by hand-carved ash and walnut spoons and a pack of custom-designed playing cards.
      “We want to disconnect from the crazy of our today’s world and reconnect more with ourselves in nature,” added Benesch.
      The exhibition formed part of the 5Vie district during Milan design week, where other exhibitions included Artemest’s L’Appartamento, a 1930s apartment redesigned by six different studios.
      Following Milan design week, we collected ten standout installations and projects on show during the week.
      Alpine Rising was on show from 15 to 21 April 2023 as part of Milan design week. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
      Exhibition and furniture photography is courtesy of Markus Benesch Creates. Ceramic photography is by Gregor Hofbauer.

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      IKEA reflects on “the past, the present and the future” of the home at Milan design week

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      Swedish retailer IKEA marked its 80th anniversary at Milan design week with Assembling the Future Together, an immersive exhibition that charts the furniture company’s history and addresses its future.

      Assembling the Future Together took place at Padiglione Visconti in Milan and explored the brand’s progression since the 1950s.
      Assembling the Future Together is on display at Milan design week”The whole exhibition is about the past, the present and the future,” said IKEA designer and chief creative officer Marcus Engman.
      “So it’s a little bit like telling the story of IKEA furniture, things we have done and things that we will do even more,” he told Dezeen in Milan.
      Furniture from IKEA’s history is on display to reflect its pastTo reflect this idea, the space was divided into three main sections. One area dedicated to the past features designs from IKEA’s 80-year history displayed on geometric white shelving.

      Among the pieces was furniture from the 1970s with bright fabrics and bold shapes, which were influenced by the increasing emergence of youth culture during this decade, according to the brand.
      Chunky children’s furniture from IKEA’s Mammut series was also included. The line was first designed in the 1990s and has remained popular ever since.
      IKEA is also debuting its new Nytillverkad collectionFor the present portion of the exhibition, the brand launched the first products in its new Nytillverkad collection.
      Characterised by “simple, functional and playful” elements, the furniture, bedding and accessories intend to pay homage to past iconic IKEA pieces in line with the current wide-spread revival of interest in vintage designs, according to the brand.
      The colourful collection takes cues from previous IKEA designsWhile the collection nods to IKEA’s roots, the brand used contemporary materials to create the pieces.
      “It’s putting old things into a new perspective,” explained Engman.
      Crowd-sourced images of people using the brand’s iconic Frakta bag are suspended in the spaceLarge-scale contemporary photographs, which showed members of the public sporting IKEA’s recognisable blue and yellow Frakta shopping bag in unexpected ways, were suspended from the ceiling throughout the venue
      One image showed a bride protecting her dress inside one of the shoppers on her wedding day, while another has been adapted to transport a dog on the subway in New York.
      “Even if we perceive our products as ‘ready design’, people see them a bit more like Lego pieces to play with,” acknowledged the designer. “People use the Frakta bag in so many ways we didn’t expect.”
      The ‘future’ section references the four elements with installationsThe future area of the exhibition features four towering installations dedicated to the elements of fire, water, earth and wind, which include an illuminated tree and smoke dispensers.
      “The future part is all about showing how we are using design and product development to nudge people’s behaviours into doing something that is good for people and the planet,” reflected Engman.
      “It’s also where we try to challenge people to be part of this – not just wait for IKEA to do stuff, but actually ask, how can we do things together?”
      “We have set out to be fully circular by 2030 so that affects everything that we do,” he continued.
      IKEA intends to urge people to think about the role they can play in shaping the future of designDesigned as an inclusive, “down-to-earth” space that is open to all, the exhibition drew together many other experiences, such as a cinema zone showing portraits taken by photographer and IKEA’s first artist-in-residence Annie Leibovitz that document the “real lives” of people in their homes.
      The project is part of IKEA’s annual Life at Home Report, where members of the brand’s team visit people in their living spaces and document their findings.
      A cinema zone is showing portraits of people at home taken by Annie LeibovitzVarious talks and music events took place in the space throughout the week alongside a dedicated “record shop” and on-site IKEA cafe serving branded food and drinks.
      The aim of incorporating music into the exhibition was to bring people together, according to Engman. Communicating the sacredness of the home is at the core of the IKEA exhibition, said the designer.

      “We have done cutting-edge things that people didn’t see coming” says IKEA’s Marcus Engman

      “This is something for us that we need to constantly work on – finding new ways of getting people to understand how important the home is,” he explained.
      “I mean, the challenges during covid and now the cost of living crisis has been where we can help out even more.”
      “Because people have had to spend more time at home – but how can we make the home also something that is really not just a functional thing, but an emotional thing?” he continued.
      “So I think that’s our biggest thing, but making sure we do that in people- and planet-positive ways. Because that’s the only way forward.”
      The exhibition was designed to be inclusivePreviously, IKEA donated its products and design services to create a series of United Nations-led refugee support centres in Eastern Europe to offer sanctuary to vulnerable groups displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The brand’s research lab, Space10, developed a concept for connecting physical furniture to an ever-evolving NFT tree.
      Assembling the Future Together is on show from 18 to 23 April 2023 at Padiglione Visconti, Via Tortona 58, Milan. See our Milan design week 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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