The Salone Del Mobile Fair, which gathers all the actors of the design world in Milan in April every year, took place between June 7-12, with a few months delayed from its usual calendar this year due to the pandemic. The fair, which was held with a special event program due to its 60th anniversary, was realized with a record number of participants, completely away from the effects of Covid19. This year 262,608 people from 173 countries visited the fair, where 2175 companies and 600 young designers from all over the world took part with their exhibitions reflecting new design trends.
Salone del Mobile Milano is on a new plane where the limits of the new world order are explored and time flows unstable, instinctive, and fast; is back after two years to meet the need for time, place and tools to think about the productive capacity, social and political role of design, and to prove that real-world experiences of meeting, discussion and dialogue are more valuable than digital. For 60 years, events that always aim to offer unique and unmissable opportunities for designers, combine sharing and design, and embrace cultures and people. Although it has its roots in Milan, it has always assumed a universal role. This year’s events, on the other hand, were based on an anthropological design concept, highlighting the construction of spaces based on sustainability principles, especially for the rediscovery of designs in which humans and nature are at the center. At the fair, the young designers of SaloneSatellite, brands and companies were brought together, and designs aiming at fairer, ethical, inclusive and responsible production and use during the crisis were brought to the fore. The activities organized within the scope of these concepts were as follows:
The International Furniture Accessories Exhibition and Workplace3.0 offered visitors a wide variety of design paths. The designs exhibited consisted of products that focused on many concepts from classical style to nature-inspired pursuits of purity and lightness and minimalism, prioritizing creating ambiance, activating emotions and bringing together the personalities of the people living in the space.
EuroCucina, on the other hand, returned to its 60th Milan Design Week with FTK – Technology for the Kitchen and International Bathroom Fair. This year’s booths featured fluid, hybrid and dynamic spaces, as kitchens and the open spaces connected to them have turned into places of gathering and sharing, while they have become places where we live our lives and recognize the importance of people, relationships, time, speed and slowing down.
This year, S.Project exhibition focused on the concept of building a “nest”, focusing on the hybridization of contemporary spaces and the transition from individual pieces to holistic designs. How far has the design progressed in terms of sustainability? Can we accelerate the beginning of a new era in the places we live in? What tools and tangible, up-to-date materials does design have? These were just a few of the questions that architect Mario Cucinella aimed to answer with the installation “Design With Nature” curated and exhibited in a 1400 square meter area at S.Project Pavilion 15. 600 young designers took part in the SaloneSatellite exhibition, which was held for the 23rd time this year. This year’s theme was “Designing for Our Future Self”. The exhibition presented “inclusive” design concepts that promote autonomy, comfort, movement, usability, interaction and safety for all. It also featured both entirely new, promising sensory explorations, as well as the pavilions and artworks that have made SaloneSatellite a design bastion.
Two new installations curated by architects Alessandro Colombo and Paola Garbugli, in collaboration with ADI-Italian Industrial Design Association, were also on the fairground as part of the 60th-anniversary celebrations. The exhibition, which won the Compasso d’Oro Award and told the unique story of Italian designs, consisted of two parts. Milan Design Week, which is planned to return to its old calendar next year, will take place between 18-23 April.
