Milan Design Week 2022

Jun 30

Between Space and Time

The theme of the Milan design week 2022 was ‘Between Space and Time’, and sustainability in the design industry was the central theme during the event. The COP26 program manifesto inspired the design set-up; we do not have much time to think about our space, and only by consciously planning every action we can think about the future. Design has contributed to the sustainability crisis we are in, and the good thing is that design can find solutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

“Designing the present is choosing for the future; everyone should start thinking more like a designer and a shaper of their own lives and consider alternatives for the future.”

The installations focused on future collaboration and dialogue, following the idea of designing for our future selves and future generations. OvN has selected seven inspirational design directions that can be seen as starting points for a better future.

You can download the report here

Between Art & Design

Creative exploration

The boundaries between art and design were explored during Milan Design Week 2022. Design can be a mix of the two, and designs created as an artistic experience can explore what an object is and what it can be. Creative exploration came before functionality, and objects were created as works of art before they could be interpreted as, for instance, a chair, a lamp or a table. Digital renderings, 3d design and 3d printing techniques influenced physical aesthetics and were grounded in more natural materials such as stone. These objects challenge the viewer to think about the limits of creation. Several designs were developed from a 2D point of view and later turned into 3D printed objects. Tradition and technology came together, as did natural and other worldly explorations and analogue and digital techniques.

Left to right: The Factory by 3DD Factory Thinking Design in collaboration with Cristina Vitan and Jacopo Menconi, Making Design by Issey Miyake & Tatsuo Miyajima, Ether by Kikie Chudikova, Out of the Body lamp by Patrick Tuttofuoco, Manta by Paolo Castelli, Iridescent lamp by Audrey Large, The Factory by 3DD Factory, Table by Flavie Audi

The Most Natural Way

Nature Infused Design

The connection with Mother Earth and exploring what can be the most natural and intact state of a product was a great inspiration for the design. It is necessary to listen with humility to nature and free ourselves from the indulgence of material desires. Craftsmen’s skills were combined with the beauty and rawness of Mother Earth. Natural materials and shapes combined with the skills of human hands and senses and sometimes with digital techniques were the basis for creating beautiful weathered objects. Realizing the passing of time and that Mother Earth is both the cradle of man and the final resting place invites a more humble attitude and lifestyle. Objects showcased natural crafts that appreciate the Earth’s foundation and nature’s simple yet eye-striking beauty. These designs aim at making us aware of the beauty of the Earth to reduce humans’ ecological impact on the environment.

Left to right: Table by Flavie Audi, Again, from the Earth’s foundation, Korean Craft exhibition, Shell #1 chair by Etiene Marc at Nilufar Gallery, Bouncing Patterns by Juliette Berthonneau, Divided Layers gateway by Daniel Arsham X Kohler, Chair by Chair by Plasticiet at the Vita Lenta (Slow Life) exhibition, Performing knits by Sofie Sølvhøj Heinesen, Pebble Rubble by Front for Moroso

Regreening Urban Areas

Make Space For Nature

The idea of greening urban areas was the basis for product innovations in Milan to reduce the gap between the urban and natural worlds significantly. Nature has a crucial role in maintaining a healthy balance for our cities, and regreening our cities is a valuable tool in combating the effects of climate change. The concept of circularity and self-sufficiency was explored with attention to assembly and zero waste. Attention was also paid to renewable energy, rediscovering the importance of biodiversity and leaving a legacy for future generations. Although biomaterials were explored, the scaling up of these biomaterials goes slow. The materials of most installations were given a second life after the design week.

*Floating Forest by Stefano Boeri Architects X Timberland*

Left to right: Material by Quinn van Etten at Materialised, Feeling the Energy by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati + Italo Rota , Floating Forest by Stefano Boeri Architects X Timberland, Kaia CO2 filter lamp by 4F.studio, Cutlery at the temporary home exhibtion, The Mesoamerican Series by Galapagos,Tadashi Kawamata’s wooden nest, Landscape design by Green Wise

The Poetry of Craft

Culture and Connection

Another approach to sustainability is through attention to craft. Craft can create more connections between humans and the products they use by telling the story of the maker and the materials. Craft is about all aspects of a product, how it is made, from which raw materials, who made it and what journey it has taken. As in previous years, Hermes’ installation was inspiring with four voluminous water tower shapes with a wooden construction covered with translucent coloured paper. Light came from within, where beautiful tactile products were exposed on piles of paper. Also, the house of Loewe experimented with traditional weaving techniques to weave baskets and textiles that make products tactile and treasures to keep for life.

*Left to right: Weave, Restore, Renew by Loewe, Looking for lightness by Hermes*

What is waste, what is value?

Circular materials

Exhibitions in Milan were interactive, and feedback was requested from the public through questions regarding the issue of waste and consumerism in a brainstorming way. The way to the future has yet to be invented, and new materials are essential for the circular economy. Although this is still in an experimental phase and not scaled, designers and students keep exploring alternatives to plastic and other polluting materials, such as biomaterials made from industrial waste and waste-free painting processes with vegetable pigments. Banana peel waste was used for eyeglass frames, shoe soles, watch bands and 3D printing. Eggshell waste can be turned into beautiful vases and bowls. The natural instability of algae pigments in the dyeing process causes irregular effects; the prints dissolve under the influence of light and lighten over time.

Left to right: CarryMe Back by Dell Reconnect ,Shoe sole by Marco Scatto, Artwork by Jean Shin at Galleria Giovanni Bonelli, Unfold by Studio Lionne Van Deursen, Why Colours Matter, Microalgae inks by Anne-Marie Sust, SEAinPLASTIC by Marco Scatto Plant based pigments by Slow Painting Studio, Kuori Banana peel sole by Sarah Harbarth

Redesign

Simplicity

Iconic products have proven their record by becoming classics, yet it may be necessary to redesign, interpret and re-cut these icons because of a change in mindset. During Milan Design Week, several of these icons were given new handwriting and silhouette and were sculpted and hacked with the artistic freedom to make them relevant for the future. Simplicity, functionality and flexibility remain essential and techniques such as folding, stacking, and re-cutting can improve these everyday products. New timeless icons are created by removing elements from their context, history, material, shape and technique. Design followed design principles such as form follows waste and concepts such as modularity and builds on the principle of reusability and leaving as little waste of material as possible.

Left to right: Offcut chair 01, made from the offcuts from Dinesen by Pettersen and Hein, “Providence Project” Salvaged Metal Chair by Lauren Goodman, Toogood x Carhartt WIP Collaboration, Looking for lightness by Hermes, Chair at the exhibition of Lund University School of Industrial Design, “As Seen By” exhibition curated by Rimowa with art collective The Community, Stage of the ordinary stool by Studio Hanne Kooistra