Showcasing collectible design, immersive installations and the finest craftsmanship, ICON shares what not to miss at the world’s biggest design fair from 18-23 April
Photography courtesy of Tortona Design Week
As the design crowd prepares for this year’s Milan Design Week (18-23 April), ICON has selected five must-visit exhibitions and shows.
From eye-catching exhibitions at Fuorisalone to new product launches at Salone del Mobile to designer collaborations at Alcova, Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the world’s creativity throughout the city.
Spanning a full week filled with events and exhibitions, read on for our top five highlights from the industry’s most respected brands and designers.
Photography by Magnus Nordstrand and styling by Kråkvik D’Orazio van den Berg. Featuring Bello bench by Beller and Hydro, Souvenir ceramic object by Live Berg and Osloleire C2S armchair by Stine Aas and Siv Støldal
1. Norwegian Presence
Norwegian Presence returns for Milan Design Week 2023 in the city’s cobblestoned Brera neighbourhood, unveiling a bold and wide-ranging selection of new designs by a hand-picked roster of independent makers and creative studios from across Norway.
Serving as a snapshot of the country’s flourishing design scene, Norwegian Presence has been the flagship exhibition of Norway’s design talent and manufacturing excellence since its first Salone del Mobile appearance in 2015.
This year, the exhibiting designers include Oslo-based product designer Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng, Svingen Arkitektkontor + Wu Xian and international design duo Noidoi, among many more.
Offering visitors an opportunity to discover innovative new products including furniture, ceramics and textiles, Norwegian Presence also showcases a wider insight into the material-minded and collaboration-driven creative culture of Norway, and the infrastructure that supports it.
Photography courtesy of Fuorisalone
2. Laboratorio Futuro (Future Lab), Fuorisalone
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Fuorisalone makes a comeback with a series of exciting events across Milan’s many creative boroughs.
Overlapping with the city’s renowned Salone del Mobile, Fuorisalone will host events that push the limits of design – from urban planning to multi-sensory architecture and more.
This year, the fair will focus on its Laboratorio Futuro (Future Lab) theme, which reflects on how we imagine our future.
Photography by FedericoFloriani featuring Alcova, 2023
3. Alcova
Now in its fifth edition, this year Alcova is bringing the vast and monumental spaces of the Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria back to life with over 70 projects, each exploring a different and complementary direction of contemporary design practice. Highlights include a showcase by Atelier LUMA who will invite visitors to engage in an immersive and scenographic journey into the world of matter.
Plus, Alcova 2023 will display the work of emerging designers, including London-based designers N/A (Natalia Triantafylli – Andrew Scott), Greek architect and designer Kiki Goti and Monstrum Studio, among others, whose work will be seen alongside more established brands and studios such as Lindsey Adelman Studio and Atelier Areti.
Blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, Alcova 2023 will also feature site-specific installations by French label Polcha and Objects of Common Interest in the striking landscape of the Ex-Macello. Bringing together talents from places of origin as diverse as China, Japan, Korea, United States, India, Turkey and elsewhere, Alcova 2023 will be an unmissable celebration that highlights the unifying force of design.
Photography by Pete Navey featuring Tom Dixon
4. Tom Dixon, Euroluce
British design studio Tom Dixon returns to Salone del Mobile.Milano’s Euroluce for the first time in nine years to present a range of magnificent new pieces celebrating the theme ‘Choice’.
Following last year’s striking Twenty exhibition at Palazzo Serbelloni, which explored two decades of the studio’s work, in 2023 Tom Dixon will be back with new collections.
Among the new pieces on show at Euroluce will be the updated Puff pendant and chandeliers, as well as a brand-new category of lights, the Portables.
Inspired by the iconic Melt lamps, this new series of lights is designed to illuminate indoor and outdoor spaces, and will make a perfect addition to any interior.
Photography by Sam Gilbert featuring Belgium is Design
5. SaloneSatellite, Salone del Mobile
The design industry’s biggest festival returns for its 61st edition with the 23rd edition of the biennial Euroluce in Milan’s Fiera Milano.
Helmed by Maria Porro, the Salone del Mobile president, a highlight of this year’s fair will be the third edition of S.Project, as well as SaloneSatellite, devoted to decorative products as showcased by leading design schools, universities and emerging designers under 35.
Among the exhibiting designers are the 13 Belgian studios presenting their work at Belgium is Design exhibition, which will showcase the richness and diversity of Belgian design and display a wide range of work and materials, from woven textiles to wood, marble scraps and steel, among many more.
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