MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2018: SALONE DEL MOBILE AND FUORISALONE ARE PACKED WITH EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS, LAUNCHES, POP-UPS AND PARTIES - IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE EVERYTHING, AND YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT YOU WILL MISS A LOT OF STUFF. ANY GOOD SURVIVAL GUIDE TO MDW WILL STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL PLANNED SCHEDULE AND COMFORTABLE SHOES. BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIPS IS TO ALWAYS SAY YES TO PROSECCO - OR A SPRITZ - IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS, BECAUSE DURING SOLANE, IT'S SPRITZ O'CLOCK ALL THE TIME.
I LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE AND MEANINGFUL EXHIBITIONS OF MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2018. FROM THE MIRRORS AT COS TO THE MOROCCAN TILES AT HERMES AND THE FABULOUS VILLA BORSANI. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS WEEK AND IF YOU DID NOT ATTEND YOURSELF THIS YEAR PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR - I PROMISE YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.
COS partnered with artist Phillip K. Smith III to create Open Sky, a light and reflection-based art installation. Housed in the historic building of Palazzo Isimbardi, the installation is inspired by Renaissance architecture, the Milanese sky and the design aesthetics of COS.
"Open Sky is an installation that can never be seen the same way twice." - Phillip K. Smith III
BAR ANNE: A SHOW, BAR, HANG OUT, EXPERIENCE, MEET, GREET AND CREATIVE HUB. CURATED BY ANNE VAN DER ZWAAG AND IN COLLABORATION WITH SPACE ENCOUNTERS X CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT.
"I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME RARE AND WONDERFUL PLACES IN THIS WORLD THAT CARRY THE ENERGY OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPENT TIME THERE, EVEN LONG AFTER THEY HAVE DEPARTED. ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI'S STUDIO IN MILAN IS SUCH A PLACE." - LESLIE WILLIAMSON
STUDIO ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI IS FILLED WITH DESIGN, OBJECTS, AND CURIOSITY - A TRULY WONDERFUL PLACE. CASTIGLIONI'S DAUGHTER, GIOVANNA, CARRIES THE ENERGY AND SPIRIT OF HER FATHER AND OF THE STUDIO THROUGH FONDAZIONE ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI. THANK YOU GIOVANNA, FOR THE WONDERFUL TOUR AND GREAT STORIES.
MILAN POLYCHROME. HERMES SHAKES UP THE SHADES AT THE MUSEO DELLA PERMANENTE WITH A SCENOGRAPHY DESIGNED BY CHARLOTTE MACAUX PERELMAN, JOINT DEPUTY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR HERMES MAISON ALONGSIDE ALEXIS FABRY.
DIMOREGALLERY PRESENTED TRANSFER: AN EMOTIVE INSTALLATION DEDICATED TO MASTERS OF 20TH CENTURY DESIGN. THE EXHIBIT UNFOLDS AS A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACIOUS ROOMS WHICH TRANSFORM THEMSELVES INTO DIFFERENT MISES EN SCENE, BECOMING ROOMS WITHIN ROOMS, AND VARIOUS SETTINGS OF DISTINCT SHAPES AND STYLES.
TRANSITIONS BY PANASONIC IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, OBJECT, AND CONVERSATION ABOUT DESIGNING BEYOND THE TANGIBLE AND ENTERING THE ABSTRACT AREAS OF CULTURE, LIVING SPACES AND COMMUNITY. DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE TO ADDRESS OUR RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. AS AN INSTALLATION THE EXPERIENCE WAS ETHEREAL, BUT IT WAS THE CONVERSATION ON TRANSITIONS AND AIR INVENTIONS THAT WAS INSPIRING.
as part of milan design week and ahead of a retrospective of borsani's work at the milan trIennale, the family home designed by osvaldo borsani in varedo was open to the public for the very first time. villa borsani, a rationalist-style dwelling completed in 1943 and adjacent to the old tecno factory, has remained largely unchanged since borsani passed away in 1985. ORIGINALLY designed for his father gaetano, but occupied by his twin brother and business partner fulgenzio AND HIS FAMILY. villa borsani is a jewel of modern architecture and showcases the innovative and collaborative vision of THE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER AND VISIONARY OSVALDO BORSANI.
"osvaldo borsani was, by all accounts, a reserved and considered man, absorbed by work." - tom jenkins
Alcova opens the doors to one of milan's historic panettone factories as a design venue for 20 studios and galleries exploring contemporary living, design and technology. art work and objects are juxtaposed withIN the architectural ruins and wild plants. abandoned factory equipment ARE intermixed as ARTIFACTS OF A TIME LONG AGO.
MATT MULLICAN (B. CALIFORNIA 1970) PRESENTED THE FEELING OF THINGS AT PIRELLI HANGAR BICOCCA, A CONVERTED LOCOMOTIVE FACTORY IN MILAN. MULLICAN HAS BEEN WORKING SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S TO DEVELOP A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF MODELS AND VOCABULARY THAT HE CALLS THE "FIVE WORLDS", CORRESPONDING TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PERCEPTION AND REPRESENTED BY FIVE COLORS: GREEN FOR PHYSICAL, MATERIAL ELEMENTS; BLUE FOR EVERYDAY LIFE; YELLOW WHERE OBJECTS BECOME VALUABLE; BLACK AND WHITE FOR LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS; AND RED FOR SUBJECTIVITY AND IDEAS.
ANSELM KIEFER (B. GERMANY 1945) CONCEIVED THE SEVEN HEAVENLY PALACES 2004-2015 AS PART OF THE PERMANENT WORK FOR THE OPENING OF PIRELLI HANGAR BICOCCA IN 2004. FIVE LARGE PAINTINGS TOGETHER WITH THE SEVEN "TOWERS" FORM ANSELM KIEFER'S MASTERPIECE.
A FINAL STOP AT FONDAZIONE PRADA FOR THE OPENING OF ITS NEW TOWER TORRE. THE FINAL STRUCTURE TO COMPLETE OMA'S CONVERSION OF A FORMER 1910'S DISTILLERY INTO AN ART COMPLEX FOR FASHION DESIGNER AND ART COLLECTOR MIUCCIA PRADA. THE PROJECT IS CONCEIVED BY OMA - LED BY REM KOOLHAAS - AND BRINGS TOGETHER PRESERVATION AND CREATION OF SEVEN EXISTING BUILDINGS WITH THREE NEW STRUCTURES, LOCATED IN LARGO ISARCO IN THE SOUTH OF MILAN. FONDAZIONE PRADA'S MISSION IS TO ENLARGE AND ENRICH OUR PROCESSES OF LEARNING BY EXPLORING AND SHARING CULTURE, IDEAS, ATTITUDE, AND OPENNESS.
"MILAN BECOMES - MORE AND MORE - BEAUTIFUL. THERE IS THE MILAN THAT NEVER CHANGES AND THE ONE THAT DID NOT EXIST TEN YEARS AGO, TOGETHER THEY FORM AN UNICUM THAT HAS TRANSFORMED A CITY INTO AN INTERNATIONAL REFERENCE POINT." - SIMPLE FLAIR
... UNTIL NEXT YEAR