It’s that time of the year when the Salon del Mobile transforms Milan into a canvas of design innovation, immersive storytelling, and multisensory experiences. The 63rd edition gives fashion houses and avant-garde artists a space to create a unique installation for their take on the fair’s theme, “Thought for Humans.”
This year, I’ve rounded up some of the most imaginative exhibits:
Source of Pleasure is a sensorial journey that celebrates the ritual of coffee – something all Italians have grown up with. Brazilian architect Juliana Lima Vasconcellos partnered with Lavazza to create this piece.
The installation featured curved architectural forms, rich aromas, and tactile materials, inviting visitors to engage with the essence of Lavazza's heritage.
Of course, is it really an Italian design festival without an entry from Gucci, the Italian luxury brand? Gucci's "Bamboo Encounters" pays homage to the brand's iconic bamboo motif through a series of installations by international artists.
Each piece exhibited showcases the bamboo theme uniquely, blending fashion, art, and design to create immersive environments that reflected Gucci's commitment to Italian craftsmanship and innovation.
Es Devlin, a renowned British artist, transformed the Pinacoteca di Brera into a luminous sanctuary with "Library of Light."
Library of Light featured concentric circles of illuminated books, symbolising the intersection of knowledge and light. The installation invited visitors to contemplate the role of literature and learning in shaping the human experience.
Oscar-winning Italian film director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino, presented "La Dolce Attesa," which is an immersive installation that explored themes of anticipation and memory.
Through a series of cinematic vignettes, the La Dolce Attesa beckoned visitors to reflect on the beauty of waiting and the passage of time, echoing the nostalgic elegance of Italian cinema.
The installation is breathtaking and is definitely at the top of my list. If you’re still not convinced, the video of La Dolce Attesa might just do it.
Hyperlink to Paolo Sorrentino, La dolce attesa, Fiera Milano, Rho
Presented by Hannes Peer Architecture and Margraf, CRASH is a dynamic installation in Milan’s 5VIE district.
Marble slabs appear to bend and twist mid-space, redefining the material's rigidity and symbolising transformation through fracture. CRASH by Hannes Peer Architecture for Margraf celebrates imperfection as a design narrative instead of a problem. It also showcases marble’s material resilience.
Google collaborated with Lachlan Turczan, an American artist, to present Making the Invisible Visible at Garage 21. Making the Invisible Visible is an immersive installation that explores how abstract ideas take physical form.
Making the Invisible Visible features dynamic light and water sculptures that respond to visitors' movements, creating a multisensory experience that highlights the intersection of technology, design, and human perception.
The exhibit is truly astonishing; check out the video below to see this interactive exhibit in motion.
