BEST of milan design week 2022
MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2022 RETURNS IN FULL FORCE
Following the cancellation of the 2020 edition, and a down-scaled version in 2021, Milan Design Week returned in full force in 2022 to delight visitors with new products and artistic interventions. Without a doubt, one of the creative’s world most hectic moments of the year, hundreds of people from around the world traveled to the Italian city to see not only the latest product releases at the fair, but to enjoy the ever-growing immersive installations and social events that took over the courtyards and historical buildings.
Milan Design Week 2022 also marked the entrance of the DAAily Platforms. Our group — designboom, Architonic & ArchDaily — curated the space inside the Centro Svizzero building on the eastern edge of the Brera Design District with installations, hourly talks with figures within the art, architecture and design fields, and a bar that created a common ground for culture enthusiasts.
Scroll down to discover what went down during the week, as we unveil the TOP BEST shows of Milan Design Week 2022.
DAAILY BAR
Located on the eastern edge of the Brera Design District at the Centro Svizzero building, the DAAily Bar welcomed renowned design personalities and enthusiasts. Not only was the Live Talks program impressive, so too was the bar itself with a stunning floral installation by Anne Vitchen — floral designer at the Ritz Paris — joined by Swiss artist Douglas Mandry’s Art Curtains in collaboration with Bally and Christian Fischbacher.
Providing insights into their current work and developments, the Live Talks hosted international guests from the worlds of design, art and architecture, including Paola Antonelli, Alice Rawsthorn, Boonserm Prenda, Anne Vitchen, Douglas Mandry, Julian Bedel, Laura Casalis and Giovanni Moro among others.
And we also hosted a party! Watch the video above to get a glimpse at the DAAily Bar.
LOOKING FOR LIGHTNESS BY HERMÈS
Hermès understood the possibilities of creating a space within a space, and this year continued to wow spectators with an installation that highlighted a quest for lightness. Set within La Pelota, the installation was composed of four massive translucent structures which played with light and gravity, while seeking a balance between color and light. Despite the immense size of their wooden skeletons, the structures appeared soft and delicate.
Upon entering the small openings, visitors encountered different household items from decorative pieces to chairs and dinnerware, all precisely positioned to seek ‘lightness in the design of the object’.
Read more on designboom here.
DIVIDED LAYERS BY DANIEL ARSHAM FOR KOHLER
Probably the most instagrammed installation of Design Week, Daniel Arsham’s Divided Layers for Kohler took over the courtyard at Palazzo del Senato. Described as a large-scale immersive art experience, the site-specific installation built upon the duo’s release of Rock.01 — a 3D-printed sink. Visitors paraded along the walkable tunnel created by a series of stackable panels, where a pond acted as a mirror surface, doubling and reflecting the opening of the cavernous volume.
MONUMENTAL WONDERS BY SABINE MARCELIS & OMA AT ALCOVA
Natural stone brand SolidNature debuted at Milan Design Week with an impressive installation at Alcova, which welcomed visitors through a luminous, OMA-designed portal composed of nine different types of onyx assembled in sequence. Across this entryway, people later encountered a monolithic Pink Pale Hue Onyx bathroom sculpture by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis; and a multi-functional cabinet and a bed by OMA.
Read more on designboom here.
WEAVE, RESTORE, RENEW BY LOEWE
The art of weaving marked the re-entrance of LOEWE at Milan Design Week, two years after its last exhibition at the annual design event. For its sixth installment, Anderson and the Maison explored leather weaving, the Galician straw-weaving tradition known as Coroza, and the Korean technique of paper weaving known as Jiseung. The poliform project revolved around the concept of resuscitating objects and materials that may be forgotten or discarded and transformed them into baskets, handbags, canisters, cribs, vases, and storage, all sold during the event.
Read more about the project here.
Ceci n’est pas un mur BY KONSTANTIN GRCIC AT NFQ
Konstantin Grcic set two imposing limited-edition pieces inside NFQ. Created for Giustini/Stagetti and titled DAYBED and WALL, the pieces were presented with an exhibition titled ‘Ceci n’est pas un mur,’ which ‘ironically makes reference to Magritte’s famous painting of a pipe which is known to be an image of a pipe and not the object itself.’
Both pieces recall the German designer’s formalism, and have been designed to reinterpret the classical format of furniture on the scale of a ‘micro-architecture.’ In doing so, they not just furnish a space, but create one in turn.
Read more about this project on designboom here.
OBJETS NOMADeS BY LOUIS VUITTON
Louis Vuitton celebrated ten years of the Objets Nomades collection of furniture and design objects during Milan Design Week 2022. Set within the iconic Garage Traversi, the French Maison unveiled two new additions together with recent and classic pieces by Atelier Oï, Campana Brothers, Maarcel Wanders, Frank Chou and Raw Edges among others.
INNESTO (RUBBINGUPTHEWRONGTREE) BY MARTINO GAMPER AT NILUFAR DEPOT
At Nilufar Depot, Martino Gamper highlighted the botanical art of grafting — innesto in Italian — and translated it into exquisite refurbished furniture pieces. By mimicking the act of placing a porting of one plant into the stem of another to create a union, Gamper presented an array of old Cox furniture he reinterpreted in a contemporary key. The vintage pieces were dissected and then restored with insertions of flat laser cut steel, creating a dialogue between the purity of the original design and its new elements.
Curated by Nina Yashar, the site-specific installation continued to demonstrate why Yashar, Nilufar Gallery founder, is a leading figure in the collectible design sphere.
MISS DIOR BY PHILIPPE STARCK
Philippe Starck and Dior united in the pursuit of perfection with a refined edition of Christian Dior’s Medallion Chair — this time renamed Miss Dior in a tribute to femininity. The event marked the first collaboration between the fashion house and the French designer and architect. Debuted in an ethereal and cavernous theater below Milan’s Palazzo Citterio, the space reflected the elegant minimalism of the chair.
Read more on designboom here.
TWENTY BY TOM DIXON
Recognized as a trailblazing creative powerhouse across innovative products and high concept interiors, British designer Tom Dixon commemorated 20 years of the global design empire he established in 2002. To celebrate, the brand hosted the TWENTY exhibition, and introduced its latest creations which focused on innovation and materiality.
OUBLIÉ BY DIMORE STUDIO
Sealed away in a ‘forgotten’ Milanese apartment was Dimore Studio‘s Oublié show. The dimly-lit hazy space showcased the studio’s new collection comprised of furniture, textiles, and lighting pieces, all with a strong Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran signature. The journey inside the apartment appeared like a dream, and gave the sensation of slowly waking up.
Read more on designboom here.
SPOKEN LINES BY BENI RUGS x COLIN KING AT ALCOVA
Beni Rugs surprised visitors at Alcova with a colossal site-specific wool sculpture made by Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi which gently rested on Colin King’s carpet collection. The collaborative installation explored the heritage versus the modernity of traditional Moroccan rug-making and how it has evolved alongside contemporary design influences.
FLOATING FOREST BY STEFANO BOERI INTERIORS for TIMBERLAND
Milan-based architect Stefano Boeri set afloat a multi-sensory forest created as an independent ecosystem on the waters of the city’s Darsena. Created in collaboration with Timberland, the installation offered a place for intersection and reconciliation between the natural sphere and human beings. Complete with 610 plants and 30 species, the project aimed to multiply biodiversity and activate environmental benefits related to urban forestry, in connection with other green spaces in Milan.
ELEMENTI PER PAESAGGI BY NATHALIE DU PASQUIER FOR MUTINA
Memphis designer Nathalie Du Pasquier created an installation at Casa Mutina Milano to officially present the Paesaggi collection. The french architect and designer used the Mattonelle Margherita to create a lively and dynamic scenography reflection her spirit and creative approach.
