Fuorisalone represents something unique on an international level. The event, which celebrates Milan as the Capital of International Design, has confirmed its role even in 2023. From April 17th to 23rd, Milan vibrated with people, objects, and ideas, transforming itself into a global platform dedicated to showcasing the international scene of contemporary design.
As suggested by the title of this edition, “Laboratorio Futuro” (Future Laboratory), Fuorisalone was a large space for experimentation where brands, designers, universities, curators, designers, and artists came together to imagine new visions and languages for innovation.
A widespread excitement that involved the most diverse places in the city, not only historic buildings like Palazzo Broggi, Palazzo Serbelloni, Palazzina Appiani, and Palazzo Treves but also usually inaccessible locations such as the former Macello di Porta Vittoria, an immense abandoned complex of about 15 hectares in the southern area of the city, populated by the creativity of Alcova: a traveling design fair conceived by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima.
This year’s set design resembles an industrial archaeology relic where spontaneous vegetation and ruins converse with immersive and material design works that tend towards minimalism, in a peaceful coexistence with nature and its dynamics.
From research and experimentation on material development to sustainability and new technologies, from contemporary craft to sensory design, Alcova presented projects from institutions, established schools, and emerging talents from different locations such as Europe, China, Japan, Korea, the United States, India, and Turkey.
Les Eaux Primordiales with Expériences Immobiles, an olfactory and interactive installation in collaboration with DWA Design Studio, invited visitors to immerse themselves in their sensory world, earning them the INTERAZIONE Mention, a special mention given to projects with the exceptional ability to create an immersive experience, stimulating the senses and actively engaging the audience.
The Art of Formation – Art + Loom and Bea Pernia, an installation inspired by the beauty of geological formations, where pristine rocks converse with smooth, soft surfaces, giving the viewer a sense of tranquility.
Desacralized, an off-site exhibition showcasing over 20 established and emerging international designers, each exploring the concept of desacralization. Held at San Vittore e 40 Martiri, a deconsecrated church located in the center of Milan, Desacralized is the first major exhibition held in this space. The transformation of the church into a secular building inspired Galerie Philia to conceive this exhibition, where each designer was invited to give their personal interpretation of the notion of desacralization and draw inspiration from objects that once held religious associations and have now become purely functional, serving our daily lives. The only imperative agreed upon by the group was that the created works had to be entirely white.
This sculptural installation transcends and sublimes the iconic significance of the historic chandelier, offering visitors a transformative experience of light.
At 10 Corso Como, the Fondazione Sozzani is hosting the collection of 1000 VASES: Into the Blue, which showcases the work created with various techniques and materials by over 100 artists from more than 60 different parts of the world. 1000 VASES is the brainchild of Francesco Pirrello, based in Paris, who has been searching for young artistic proposals that promote sustainability and creativity for years.
At 10 Corso Como, the Fondazione Sozzani is hosting the collection of 1000 VASES: Into the Blue, which showcases the work created with various techniques and materials by over 100 artists from more than 60 different parts of the world. 1000 VASES is the brainchild of Francesco Pirrello, based in Paris, who has been searching for young artistic proposals that promote sustainability and creativity for years.
During the design week, connecting the international design community with the city of Milan, it welcomed a diverse audience of over 90,000 people throughout the week, once again demonstrating the cultural power of design.
