Latest news with #MilanDesignWeek2025
Vancouver Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
The Home Front: The many wonders of Milan Design Week
Article content From bold debuts to nostalgic glamour, Milan Design Week 2025, which took place last month, delivered light, colour and magic. Vancouver studio A-N-D made waves, Christian Woo surprised all, Bocci showed its signature magic, and Italian brands like Minotti and Paola Lenti dazzled with retro flair and Mediterranean calm. Article content Article content Article content Article content One of the best surprises at the show was a collaboration between well-known Italian brand Zanotta and Vancouver designer Christian Woo. Article content Woo is known for his sculptural pieces and masterful woodwork, but amazed showgoers in Milan by stepping outside his usual palette, introducing bold colours and rich fabrics, says Burgers. 'It was unexpected but seamless. His clean lines and architectural forms remained, but softened with upholstery and saturated tones.' Article content It was a perfect debut for Milan Design Week, which is like a week of wonders, says Burgers. Article content 'That kind of surprise doesn't just catch your eye — it signals growth, relevance and a willingness to evolve. And in a place like Milan, that matters.' Article content Article content Tucked behind a garden gate in central Milan's Zona Vincenzo Monti, the Bocci showroom felt more like stepping into someone's home — like a friend with impeccable taste, says Burgers. Article content The Bocci apartment is set in a 20th-century residential building, with lighting installations that seamlessly integrate into the architecture. To mark Bocci's 20th anniversary, the apartment was transformed into The Numbers Between the Numbers, an immersive exhibition conceived by designer Omer Arbel and curated by David Alhadeff of architecture and design studio The Future Perfect. Article content Article content This apartment highlights one of the best things about Milan Design week, which is how the city itself transforms to become part of the who. Article content Article content 'Brands don't just show products, they create worlds.' Article content
Business Mayor
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
ephemeral tech: A.A. murakami on using robotics and physics to create nature in installations
A.A. Murakami discusses using robotics and physics to invoke nature in their installations , a technique and practice they describe as 'ephemeral tech.' During Milan Design Week 2025 , the art collective exhibits two scenographic installations at Museo della Permanente for the show Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions, presented with Kia Design and Zero. Several days after the event, Alexander Groves, the half of A.A. Murakami alongside Azusa Murakami and the art practice of Studio Swine , sits down with designboom to rehash the nature-inspired robotics installation. It's a two-part show that visitors go through. The first is The Cave. Just like its name, the only light illuminating the space is the saturated, sunset-colored backlighting along the wall. It's enough to cast a shadow and form the silhouettes of the replicated ancient animal bones, surfacing from the pool of oil in the middle of the room. These artifacts don't emerge on their own since a large-scale automaton with robotic limbs brings them up, making their outlines visible to the visitors. Alexander Groves tells us that it's his and Azusa Murakami's way of showing their interest in the dawn of humanity. 'We were interested in making replicas of these bones and hearing these ancient sounds, having them emerge from a pool of oil on these robotic limbs that almost have the appearance of bird legs. We wanted to create a very evocative cinematic space using these almost haunting sounds as well as red light flooding the space,' he says. The robotic installation by A.A. Murakami puts a tech twist on the customary way of showcasing historic artifacts. 'There's a divergent moment where technology itself could become conscious. It was using the ancient past to think about the far future,' adds Alex Groves. Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of A.A. Murakami (Studio Swine) | all images courtesy of A.A. Murakami Contrast plays between 'the cave' and 'beyond the horizon' Past The Cave, visitors walk through yet another vaguely lit room named Beyond the Horizon. A different ambiance plays the tone of the space. Instead of the light piercing through the viewers' vision, large bubbles float above their heads, passing for a few seconds before they pop and the mist comes out, forming the shape of clouds. On the walls, hanging automata enable the robotic installation of A.A. Murakami to work. The art collective's Alex Groves compares the amorphous bubbles to moons gliding through the space. The room contrasts The Cave. Whereas Beyond the Horizon brims with cool blue, seemingly moonlight, The Cave shines like a radiant sunset, invoking the glow of a fire. 'We wanted to set up a contrast, so you had an interesting journey through the space. It's setting up a distinction between these two things so they enhance each other—the difference,' Alex Groves tells us. Read More Core77 Weekly Roundup (2-12-24 to 2-16-24) The bubbles glide at a glacial pace before they slowly disperse into thin air like fog. The British artist explains to designboom that A.A. Murakami uses a mixture of ingredients to make them for the robotic installations. 'When you make giant bubbles, it needs to be a more viscous substance that retains water. It's much thicker. There are different emulsifying agents, but nothing toxic. It's all safe. Essentially, it's soaps and surfactants – things that reduce the surface tension of water. It no longer makes a droplet but forms a thin skin,' he says. It's not their first time blowing large bubbles into the air, citing their Floating World exhibition at M+ Museum Hong Kong between August 2024 and February 2025. They've already produced installations with small bubbles too, one of the first times being New Spring and New Spring Miami (2017). Here, the tree-like structure features branches shaped as curved tubes hanging above the visitors heads. Slowly, these poles pipe out small bubbles, landing on the floor before they lightly burst. Beyond the Horizon (2024) at Museo della Permanente | exhibition photos by DSL Studio, unless stated otherwise Ephemeral tech in A.A. Murakami's robotic installations During our conversation with A.A. Murakami's Alex Groves, he mentions the term 'Ephemeral tech' a few times. It's one way they describe what they do, using technology with ethereal materials to create 'fleeting moments' and 'new, unnatural phenomena.' Ephemeral, when looked up, means transient or brief, like floating bubbles that slowly land or burst, ancient bones that languidly emerge from a pool of oil, or cannoned fog that glacially makes its way in the middle of the room. Tech comes in different forms. With a few of the nature-inspired robotic installations of A.A. Murakami, it can be through the use of automated limbs or mechanisms. Alex Groves sums up ephemeral tech by saying, 'when you witness the digital world—watching something on a screen—you're aware it can't fade. You can pause it, revisit it, rewind it—it'll be exactly the same. It doesn't die. When you encounter nature, if you come across a fox, for example, and you both stop and stare at each other, there's this awareness that this is an incredibly unlikely gathering of atoms in front of you. You're both sharing a moment that will never come again. We're interested in using technology to give you an experience almost like nature. When you're in the presence of a bubble, you know what's going to happen. It's got a life to it. You watch the creation of it, and you watch it dissolve and disappear. The fleeting nature of it adds to its beauty.' Read More Versale lighting by Anker Studio for Nordlux the bubbles glide at a glacial pace before they slowly disperse into thin air like fog A.A. Murakami is the art division and practice of Studio Swine. Alex Groves and Azusa Murakami are both the masterminds behind these two. Whereas Studio Swine focuses on materiality and how materials can make viewers feel, A.A Murakami and its nature-inspired, tech-driven, and even robotics, installations allow people to live through what they feel. 'We don't want to make things on a screen or use projectors, which is what we consider inherited tech. The way we use technology is about bringing materiality into it; not just materials, but states of matter,' says Alex Groves. He clarifies, however, that their approach isn't solely robotics because their installations aren't kinetic in the traditional sense of using robotics to create kinetic art. They use instead these limbs and automated parts to deliver a space, one where visitors meet with fog rings, bubbles, and plasma, the natural phenomena. When asked if A.A. Murakami considers robotics as co-creators of their installations, Alex Groves tells us it's about balance. 'You rely on these robots and technologies to take on part of what's happening. The other part is, you want physics and the natural world—the laws of nature—to take on the rest. We're interested in when digital code and electronics transition into the physical realm, where it's about fluid dynamics, entropy, and intermolecular forces all at play. That's when it becomes really interesting, because then you get a dance—like how mesmerizing it is to watch the surface of the ocean. There's a constant dance between the intermolecular forces. We want to do both, but we want to create unnatural phenomena—things that wouldn't be there without the use of technology,' he says. the work appears in the exhibition Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions during Milan Design Week 2025 The British artist looks back at how A.A. Murakami comes to life. He and Azusa Murakami founded Studio Swine in 2010. He is armed with fine arts history, and she with architecture, but they both have a background in design after studying at the Royal College of Art. They were interested in exploring materials, shaping them in a certain kind of utility or functionality, hence the birth of Studio Swine, 'We liked the archetypes of furniture and using furniture as a way of exploring the world around us and possible futures,' Alex Groves shares with us. Read More A Hotel Room with an Airplane Inside of It They had a run for it over years, even living in São Paulo and made a furnace that could melt down cans on the street using waste vegetable oil. Then, they moved to Shanghai, explored human hair, and made Hair Highway, reimagining human hair with bio resin, all the while inspired by the notion of the ancient Silk Road. 'When we started doing more immersive installations that didn't have such a clear question-and-answer structure, they were more about creating a feeling, an immersive world,' the British artist says in light of A.A. Murakami being shaped naturally after their New Spring installation in 2017, showcased in Milan. the display showcases giant, amorphous bubbles emerging from hanging automata and transforming into clouds The art collective started working for and with art museums, even having robotic installations and permanent collections in MOMA in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and M+ in Hong Kong. On May 4th, 2025, they host their first solo presentation in a U.S. museum and their largest to date anywhere. It's in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, an exhibition named 'Floating World,' running until September 21st, 2025. Four of A.A. Murakami's biggest robotics and nature-inspired installations are present, including Beyond the Horizon which was showcased at Milan Design Week 2025 as well as Under a Flowing Field (2023). The latter features glass tubes filled with krypton gas, arranged as a field of lightning-like white lines above the visitors head, piercing through the color-tinted space in sequences. 'This is a major moment for us because we started A.A. Murakami in 2020,' says Alex Groves. 'We've got many shows this year in different art museums. I think some people might know A.A. Murakami and not know Studio Swine, and vice versa. We're grateful they're reaching different audiences.' And the viewers, perhaps unknown to them, are gifted a transient yet transcendental piece of A.A. Murakami's profound connection with art, nature, and tech, articulated through a series of robotics installations. The Cave at Museo della Permanente in Milan
TimesLIVE
22-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- TimesLIVE
Lexus explores the human-machine connection at Milan Design Week
As I wandered the marvellous neoclassical streets of Milan, making my way from one design exhibit to the next during the recent Milan Design Week 2025, I caught tantalising glimpses of the hidden lives and majestic gardens that flourish behind the high walls and gated enclaves of the urbane metropolis. Nothing could have prepared me, however, for the sighting of a flock of pink flamingos taking their morning constitutional in a glorious pond in a private garden as I turned a corner and found myself transported to a tropical daydream. It transpires the exotic creatures live at the Palazza Invernizzi in the Quadliratero del Silenzio, a silent district of glorious Palladian villas not far from the hustle of the main shopping district. Later that day, as I found myself immersed in a dark womb-like room that appeared to be breathing and beating in synchrony with my heartbeat at the Lexus 'Black Butterfly' immersive experience, I suddenly remembered the flamingos and felt the serendipitous sighting had been a visual foretaste of the themes Lexus was exploring in its design ethos and bringing to life in the installation. 'Black Butterfly' refers to Lexus' next-generation cockpit interface for electric vehicles. How to integrate nature into sustainable design for our collective future is the vital question that should be exercising all of us. The answers Lexus provided felt as unexpectedly delightful as the pink flamingos in the silent quarter and served as a thoughtful and humane entry point to the challenge.
Khaleej Times
11-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Khaleej Times
Natuzzi Italia showcases unique collection ‘Rooted in Harmony' — Amama by Andrea Steidl at Milan Design Week 2025
Natuzzi Italia unveils its latest collection, Rooted in Harmony, at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2025, marking a significant milestone in the brand's evolution. The collection, inspired by the essence of the brand's roots, celebrates its deep connection to Puglia, the birthplace of Natuzzi, blending timeless beauty with innovative design. The collection features successful collaborations with renowned designers, including Andrea Steidl, Karim Rashid, Marcantonio, and Mauro Lipparini, alongside new creations from the Natuzzi Design Centre, focusing on a holistic approach to comfort and wellness. Among the highlights is Steidl's Amama modular sofa, a versatile and modern solution that enhances conviviality and functionality. Also on display are new designs for tables, rugs, and lamps, all reinforcing Natuzzi's commitment to creating harmonious living spaces. This collection, showcased at the Via Durini showroom, invites visitors to experience the fusion of aesthetic elegance, innovative functionality, and timeless craftsmanship that defines Natuzzi Italia's design philosophy.
Forbes
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Inspiration Station: 10 Best Installations At Milan Design Week 2025
A scene from L'Appartamento by Artemest in 2024. The brand celebrates its 10th anniversary at Milan Design Week 2025 Photography: Tomaso Lisca and Luca Argenton; Courtesy of Artemest You've packed your comfiest trainers and worked out your game plan for exploring the Fiera Milano Rho, the stage for multi-storey booths featuring the latest furniture collections. While a lot unfolds on the expansive fairgrounds of Salone del Mobile, the coolest installations actually happen outside the fair. From taking in the festival vibes at Brera and Cinque Vie to stepping inside private palazzos and hidden courtyards that open their doors just for the occasion, Milan Design Week is an inspiration (and sensory) overload. There won't be enough time to see everything, but it's worth planning a pitstop at these immersive installations. The cocktail room at L'Appartamento by Artemest 2024 Photography: Tomaso Lisca and Luca Argenton; Courtesy of Artemest Trust Artemest to choose a stunning backdrop to its showcase, especially as it marks its 10th anniversary this year. The setting? The historic Palazzo Donizetti, a 19th-century masterpiece that usually serves as the VIP space for Alberto Ferretti. For Milan Design Week 2025, they invited six international designers — Romanek Design Studio, Champalimaud Design, 1508 London, Meyer Davis, Nebras Alijoaib, and Simone Haag — and tasked them to each transform a room using bespoke pieces from over 180 Italian artisans, brands and artists under the Artemest umbrella. April 8 - 13, 2025; Palazzo Donizetti, Via Gaetano Donizetti 48, Milan Known for his sculptural lighting designs, Michael Anastassiades unveils his latest collection at the grand Palazzo Danese — a space reopening for the first time 20 years. An initiative by the Jacqueline Vodoz and Bruno Danese Foundation, this exhibition is extra special for Anastassiades as he's long time admirer of Bruno Danese's work. Expect to find a strikingly modern set-up and new modular lighting pieces including a portable lamp in collaboration with Alessi. April 7 - 13, 2025; Fondazione Danese, Via Santa Maria Fulcorina 17, 20123 Milan Marimekko collaborates with Leila Gohar on a bedroom-themed installation for Milan Design Week 2025 Courtesy of Marimekko Marimekko is a brand that knows how to have fun, and that's exactly their aim at Milan Design Week 2025. They tapped creative force Laila Gohar, a New York-based artist known for her conceptual work revolving around food, to design an installation that encourages visitors to explore the 'softer side of things'. Occupying the foyer of Teatro Litta, the Finnish brand and Gohar create a whimsical bedroom-themed installation featuring a grand-scale bed swathed in bold, colorful archival stripes by Maija Isola. The bed serves as a platform for daily activations as well as a peek into a new capsule collection by Gohar launching in September 2025. April 7 - 13, 2025; Teatro Litta, Corso Magenta 24, 20123 Milan Any design lover who's been to Kyoto has surely stopped at Kaikado cafe to experience the world of Japan's oldest tea caddy manufacturer. Since 1875, they've been producing tea caddies exactly the same way — a practice honored in a new tome by specialist publisher ERG media. The sumptuously designed Kaikado 150 book is printed in two different types of paper and wonderful metallic inks, a tribute to the intricate craftsmanship of Kaikado. The book will be launched with a special installation featuring 150 tea caddies set in one of Milan's most beautiful courtyards. Five Japanese artisans are travelling to Milan for the occasion, the first time they're holding a public display of their craft. Kaikado 150 is launching on April 9 (pre orders here) and the installation opens on April 10 to 12, 2025; ERG Media, Via Bernardino Luini 12, 20123 Milan Aline Asmar d'Amman at Galleria Rossana Orlandi in Milan Photography: Giulio Ghirardi; Courtesy of Aline Asmar d'Amman Have you really done FuoriSalone properly if you haven't set foot at Galleria Rossana Orlandi? One of the world's foremost places for contemporary design, the gallery is a treasure trove of talent perfect for lingering. Explore the various spaces indoors and out, including the Power of Tenderness — a showcase of designer Aline Asmar d'Amman's evocative creations including the Georgia sofa and Béton Littéraire bookshelf. In addition, discover the work of Brazilian designer Lucas Recchia, who has been represented by the gallery since 2021. From a new large-scale mirror to his well-loved Morfa No. 01 side tables, his collectible design pieces are pure eye candy. From April 7 - 13, 2025 at Galleria Rossana Orlandi, via Matteo Bandello 16, 20123 Milan. Power of Tenderness runs until July 31, 2025. Calico Wallpaper has long sought to bring art into everyday spaces through wall coverings that go beyond a pretty print. They're out to do it again with Particulaire, an installation with design studio Stephen Burks Man Made inspired by exotic souvenirs picked up on a trip. Taking over the courtyard of Instituto dei Ciechi, the bespoke composition is meant to spark wanderlust, but also think about the role of travel and the stories behind the objects we bring home. April 8 - 12, 2025; Instituto dei Ceichi, Via Vivaio 8, Milan Layer presents 101010 at Milan Design Week 2025 Courtesy of Scott Hobson-Jones and LAYER Layer, the studio led by Benjamin Hubert, has been pushing boundaries over the last decade. To mark their 10th anniversary, they're pulling out all the stops with an ambitious exhibition at 10 Corso Como that weaves art, technology, and sustainability. Called 101010, one part of the exhibition is a retrospective of collaborations with brands like Bang & Olufsen, Nike and Vitra, displaying the breadth of the studio's work. They're also debuting a new collection dubbed 101010, which is described as 'six pioneering social design prototypes' made with pioneering brands like Kvadrat and Muuto. Corso Como 10, 20154 Milan A preview of Exodus, an installation by Bolon at Milan Design Week 2025 Courtesy of Bolon A Milanese house is the setting for Exodus, an installation presented by Swedish brand Bolon in collaboration with multidisciplinary designers Luca Nichetto and JoAnn Tan. Making use of the colorful sustainable woven flooring, the two designers created a vibrant interplay of 'mysterious anthropomorphic creatures that appear to be in a process of evolution', created to complement the historic space that was once a textile factory. For Marie Eklund and Annica Eklund, the sisters who lead Bolon, the installation showcases a creative exploration of their products, all of which contain 68% waste material with zero climate impact in every square meter. 'The installation combines bold innovation and craftsmanship to explore new possibilities for Bolon's material, transforming it into something unexpected and extraordinary. It is not just about flooring — it is about storytelling, exploration, and creating a truly memorable experience.' April 8 - 13, 2025 at Viale Lombardia, 56 20131 Milano MI, Italy Range Rover launches its first-ever installation at Milan Design Week 2025 Courtesy of Range Rover Luxury carmaker Range Rover joins hands with Nuova, a California-based studio who are experts in crafting immersive experiences. Located in the 18th century Palazzo Belgioioso, their first foray into Milan Design Week will be a visual narration of Range Rover's evolution from 1970 to 2025 with a scenography that includes a seventies dealership. In an effort to delight all the senses, the installation will also feature bespoke scents by Aeir, Nuova's carbon negative luxury fragrance brand, as well as custom furniture and a curated playlist. April 8 - 11, 2025; Palazzo Belgioioso, 2, 20121 Milan The growing relevance of third spaces and what unfolds within is at the heart of this installation at Straf, a 19th century palazzo-turned-hotel in central Milan. Design Hotels collaborated with Universal Design Studio to create a conceptual showcase consisting of an evolving 16-piece modular system that changes daily. Like the vibrant in-between spaces we inhabit such as restaurants and hotel lobbies, the imaginative installation hopes to foster interaction between people, objects and the world beyond. April 8 - 9, 2025; Straf, Via S. Raffaele 3, 20121 Milan
