MILAN 2014 | THE VIADUCT REVIEW
Hello, Welcome to our Milan Review 2014. Every year it’s tradition for the entire Viaduct team to decamp to Milan for the Salone Del Mobile, it’s a great opportunity for us all to get out and explore. With so many feet on the ground we get to cover as much as possible, bringing back all our contributions to the debate on our best bits when we get back to London. It was an unusual year in that many of our expectations were turned on their head. After a conservative few years we were hoping for bold new directions from the manufacturers and vociferous questioning minds in the student shows. The reality was a little more muted - many companies, perhaps still bruised from the recent economic climate, were less brave than we had expected and the emergent designers were in many cases more willing to please and less willing to challenge the status quo than we had anticipated. But this is Milan, a city that hosts over 3000 events between fair and fringe so there are of course brilliant exceptions to every rule. This review attempts to distil those five days and highlight the very best new products, our designers to watch and the installations and events that captivated our imaginations. And if that’s not enough for you - we also have a fantastic short film of our week over on the website which we definitely recommend. If you would like further information on any of the products listed, just give us a call we’re always happy to help. We hope you enjoy it. Best wishes, All of us at Viaduct.
NEW PRODUCTS
As with the past couple of years it felt as though many companies were playing it safe this year at the Fiera. A focus on refining or expanding existing product ranges was far more prevalent than the release of entirely new products and innovations. As a consequence many trends of the previous year have carried through; there remains for example an abundance timber, pastels and retro detailing. This refinement and expansion can work brilliantly in the case of companies like Maruni who added a new sofa to their Roundish collection and also Cappellini who introduced well placed additions to ranges by Morrison and Nendo. As ever in Milan there are exceptions to every rule and several companies really impressed this year by offering simple clear visions of their brand and values. E15 bucked the trend by releasing an entire new collection of lighting that shares the precise and beautiful aesthetic language of it’s furniture counterparts. They take our prize for this year’s best in show, alongside Hay and Wrong For Hay’s city pop-up which exemplified the power of great art direction and a clear message. The Bouroullecs also excelled this year, their trademark subtlety and innovation has taken a turn for textural and primitive and the results are fantastic. Elsewhere, Desalto have been quietly amassing an interesting collection of pieces by the likes of Lissoni, Yoshioka and Nendo and this year their stand was a definite highlight. Arper and Andreu World also offered balanced, versatile collections with some interesting new additions to the fold.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Colour floor light by Daniel Rybakken and Andreas Engesvist. 2. Palo table light by Michael Raasch. 3. North floor/table light by Marcel Besau & Eva Marguerre. 4. North wall light by Marcel Besau & Eva Marguerre. 5. Palo floor light by Michael Raasch. 6. North pendant light by Marcel Besau & Eva Marguerre. 7. Seam Two large and new smaller version by Mark Holmes. 8. North series by Marcel Besau & Eva Marguerre. 9. Colour floor light by Daniel Rybakken and Andreas Engesvist. 10. Detail - Span pendant light by Michael Raasch. 11. Span pendant and Colour floor light with Houdini chairs by Stefan Diez and the London table by Philipp Mainzer. 12. Seam Three wall light by Mark Holmes.
GRAPHIC EXPRESSION E15 have been busy! Fresh off the back of their accessories launch in Cologne, they came to Milan with an entirely new lighting range. By rounding out their roster of products there is a new completeness and maturity to their identity that is refreshing at a time where many companies try to appeal to all bases rather than sticking to a clear message. E15 worked with several designers, and each has contributed their own vision to the pared down graphic aesthetic that is so synonymous with the brand. The Colour floor light by Daniel Rybakken and Andreas Engesvist is a celebration of both colour and light. Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau’s North lights work beautifully in isolation or as clusters. Michael Raasch’s Span is a new take on the traditional strip archetype, whilst his Palo Lamp diffusers slide gracefully up and down the stem to control light direction and strength. Mark Holmes has added wall and small table versions to the already successful Seam light family.
NEW PRIMARIES Shifting away from pastels and emphasing sweeping curves or sharp lines with primary colours was the order of the day in many areas. As was a blend of old and new. Cassina for example offered the new Jaime Hayon designed Vico Sofa alongside reintroduced pieces by the likes of Perriand and Le Corbusier. Cappellini too offered updates on existing ranges such as a new sofa for Nendo’s Peg collection and floor and table versions of the Meltdown lamp. Arper’s Colina armchair was a Viaduct favourite. This, as well as the revamped Duna and new Zinta sofas have a versatility and wide range of options to suit many purposes. Glas Italia had an interesting year, we liked Brushstrokes by Nendo that mixed smoothness with implied texture. We also really liked Konstantin Grcic’s new task chair for Artek, designed especially for use in a home office scenario, it has the functionality of a work chair but with a warmth and fluidity that will blend into domestic spaces.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Vico Sofa by Jaime Hayon for Cassina. 2. Zinta by Lievore Altherr Molina for Arper. 3. Brushstrokes by Nendo for Glas Italia. 4. Duna 02 New polypropylene shell finish with added upholstery options by Lievore Altherr Molina for Arper. 5. Peg Sofa by Nendo for Cappellini. 6. Meltdown Table Lamp by Johan Lindstén for Cappellini. 7. Colina armchair by Lievore Altherr Molina for Arper. 8. Indochine swivel armchair by Charlotte Perriand, released by Cassina. 9. Rival task chair by Konstantin Grcic for Artek.
EXPANDING THEMES Many trends carried over from the previous year, concrete, pastels and plump rounded upholstery amongst them. But these are our examples that stood out from the crowd by expanding on these themes and offering a little more. Top of the bill for us was Emeco who took their use of recycled materials to the next logical stage with the SU stool by Nendo. The SU seat is made from either reclaimed wood from old barns or a ‘green concrete’ made from 50% recycled glass and 50% cement. Cappellini approached the retro trend with a shift toward the earlier half of the last century with Orla sofa by Morrison, it’s velvet upholstery emphasising it’s deco influences. Cassina did similarly with the reintroduction of the modernist classic the LC5. ON, again by Morrison but this time for Andreu World, is a deceptively simple looking chair that hides within it new joints based on aircraft manufacture techniques for immense durability.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Rock by Jean-Marie Massaud for MDF Italia. 2. New York Armchair by Sergio Bicego for Saba. 3. Tender by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. 4. Flow Stool by Jean-Marie Massaud for MDF Italia. 5. Mia by Francesco Bettoni for MDF Italia. 6. LC5 Sofa by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, released by Cassina. 7 & 8. SU stool by Nendo for Emeco. 9. Accaio Lounge by Max Lipsey for Cappellini. 10. Orla Sofa by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini. 11. ON chair by Jasper Morrison for Andreu World.
SIMPLE PLANES There were some interesting stylistic departures from a couple of brands at the fair, Moroso and Tom Dixon both showed some uncharacteristically minimal pieces that offered instant appeal. Moroso worked with Jörg Schellmann to create a brutally geometric collection including the Library Cabinet and Double Table and Tom Dixon’s Planes make maximum visual effect from minimal materials. Other brands continued with their existing trademark simplicity. Kristalia continued to refine the collection, offering a new wooden interpretation of Boiacca and upholstery options for Sharky and Elephant. Lapalma continued their relationship with Francesco Rota with the Add sofa system that incorporates a multitude of options for standalone spaces. Vitra brought a new injection of Hella Jongerius curated colours to the Eames Aluminium Group and worked with British design royalty Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby on several new pieces, of which the Wood table and bench and Mariposa Sofa were particular favourites of ours.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Library cabinet and Double Table by Jörg Schellmann for Moroso. 2. Tibu stool by Anderssen & Voll for Magis. 3. Boiacca Wood by LucidiPevere Studio, Elephant Upholstered and Sharky by Eva Paster & Michael Geldmacher - all for Kristalia. 4. New colours by Hella Jongerius for the Eames’ Aluminium Group. 5. Hal Armchair by Jasper Morrison for Vitra. 6. EA103 dining chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra. 7. Wood Table by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Vitra. 8. Mariposa Sofa by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Vitra. 9. Planes by Tom Dixon. 10. Sharky Upholstered by Eva Paster & Michael Geldmacher for Kristalia. 11. Add sofa system by Francesco Rota for Lapalma.
TEXTURE + PRIMITIVISM Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have a well earned reputation for being two of the best designers in the world. This year we felt the designers excelled themselves with three incredibly strong offerings. Kvadrat who first redefined the use of colour in fabric have now turned their hand to doing the same for texture; choosing the Bouroullecs to help them explore this new avenue. Their fabrics were informed by ‘a fascination for the structural traits of textiles that, observed under a magnifying glass, can be interpreted like a lattice of threads building marvellous architectures’. For Glas Italia they explored the structural strength of glass to create statement desks and benches. Officina for Magis and Uncino for Mattiazzi explore common themes of blending primitive techniques and contemporary forms. Officina uses the traditional hammering of wrought iron to create its distinctive frame whilst Uncino blends handcraft and machine milling to appear the embodiment of organic minimalism from afar whilst demonstrating exquisite detail up close.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Diapositive Bench for Glas italia. 2. Officina for Magis. 3. Backrest detail of Uncino Chair for Matiazzi. 4. Arm Detail of Uncino chair for Mattiazzi. 5. Officina for Magis. 6. Canal, Gravel and Moraine for Kvadrat. 7. Colour ways for Canal, Gravel and Moraine for Kvadrat. 8. Uncino chair for Mattiazzi. 9. Leg detail of the Officina table collection. 10. Detail of Diapositive for Glas Italia. 11. Diapositive desk for Glas Italia.
DISCREET DETAIL Several other brands impressed us this year by having clear vision and integrity in their collections. For Maruni, creative director Fukasawa added a softly curved sofa that echoes the successful Roundish chair, whilst Jasper Morrison designed Bruno, a sofa that recalls the form of Danish mid century designs with a contemporary feel. Both Big-Game and Scholten & Baijings added new pieces for Karimoku New Standard; the roomy yet compact Castor Lounge Chair and a high version of the Colour Wood Table respectively. Resident continue to grow each year and these new releases showed a maturity and clarity that appealed to us greatly, we especially love the delicate Parison pendants. Elsewhere the Scandinavians dug deep into their archives with Fritz Hansen’s rerelease of Arne Jacobsen’s classic Drop chair, and Carl Hansen celebrated their centenary with the re-release of Wegner’s CH88, it’s short arm detail was present on several stands but this was by far and away the nicest example we saw.
Clockwise from top left: 1 & 2. Bruno sofa by Jasper Morrison for Maruni. 3. Castor Lounge Chair by BigGame for Karimoku New Standard. 4. Parison pendant lights by Nat Cheshire for Resident. 5. Tangerine Stool by Simon James for Resident. 6. CH88 chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen. 7. Scholar Table table by Cameron Foggo for Resident. 8. Drop by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. 9. Colour Wood Dining 95 by Scholten & Baijings for Karimoku New Standard. 10 & 11. Roundish Sofa by Naoto Fukasawa for Maruni.
HAY | WRONG FOR HAY Hay returned triumphantly to Milan for their first show in the city since their fledgling days. A large installation across two floors encompassing previews of prototypes, existing products and a mini-market, showcased exactly why Hay and it’s young offshoot Wrong for Hay are experiencing such incredible success of late. Rolf and Mette Hay allow designers a rare amount of freedom with often just one pre-requisite; make it affordable. With Wrong for Hay, there is a similar principle, working with Sebastian Wrong to develop ideas for attainable products with a group of exciting, and predominantly young talents, backed up by Hay’s manufacturing expertise and impeccable art direction. The result, as this pop up showed, are two diverse yet cohesive collections that can carry the bright prints of Richard Woods and Nathalie Du Pasquier alongside subtle and precise pieces by designers such as Stefan Diez with a grace and harmony that is rare to see. An undoubted highlight of the week, these are our best in show.
Clockwise from top left: 1. New Order shelving by Stefan Diez stacked across the two floors of the space. 2. Brackets Included shelving by Sylvain Willenz. 3. Hackney armchair by Wrong for Hay studio. 4. Uchiwa by Doshi Levien. 5 & 6. Tilt-Top table by Scholten & Baijings. 7. Hay installation showing Nathalie Du Pasquier printed columns alongside the collection. 7. Analog clock by Shane Schneck. 8. Dot Chair by Scholten & Baijings.
DELICATE BALANCE Zeitraum continue to please, they have a knack of finding young designers and building strong relationships that allow the designers to grow as the brand does. A great example of this is Mathias Hahn who first produced the E8 table for the company and has now added the M11 table with a clever hidden storage compartment. KaschKasch and Florian Schmid are new to the Zeitraum roster of designers and we loved the new products, perfect for hallways and living spaces. Mattiazzi are a brand that have found it’s feet and with it a great series of new pieces. You’ve already seen the Bouroullecs contribution on the previous page and we like the new Solo stool and Chiaro chair just as much. Over the past few years we have watched Desalto grow in strength and this year their stand was a true highlight. The ethereal Stronger than Steel collection by Nendo looked stunning in the space, they also have several other strong pieces in their collection that we be telling you more about later in the year.
Clockwise from top left: 1. M11 table by Mathias Hahn for Zeitraum. 2. Hide & Park by KaschKasch for Zeitraum. 3. Stronger than Steel bench by Nendo for Desalto. 4. Stronger than Steel installation on the Desalto stand. 5. Chiaro by Leon Ransmeier for Mattiazzi. 6 Solo chair and new stool by Nitzan Cohen for Mattiazzi. 7. Stronger than Steel shelves by Nendo for Desalto. 8. Stronger than Steel chair by Nendo for Desalto. 9. Carlo by Florian Schmid for Zeitraum. 10. Carla by Florian Schmid for Zeitraum. 11. M11 table by Mathias Hahn for Zeitraum, showing concealed storage via a sliding top.
SATELLITE At the Fiera’s emerging talent showcase it was a surprisingly commercial year with many products on show that were very much ready for market. Poetic Lab’s Ripple Light was the talk of Satellite in 2013 and their delicate yet super strong shelving made from bamboo and glass was equally enchanting, the hollow insides of the Bamboo are filled with resin to structurally bind it to the glass - giving strength and stability. Germany’s KaschKasch have already worked with an impressive array of design companies including Zeitraum and Menu. Their space saving Fju desk/shelf is perfect for smaller homes and their lightweight Zet shelving look likely contenders for being snapped up by one of the big brands soon. Vera & Kyte’s bold graphic forms charmed us as did fellow Norwegian Bjørn van den Berg’s tactile Aura mirrors, inspired by the metaphor of a glowing object and designed to be cupped in the hand. We also liked his Attach lamp, with a tilt and rotate head controlled by the edge shade detail.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Bamboo by Poetic Lab 2. Detail showing transformation Fju from desk to shelf, by KaschKasch. 3. Fju desk stowed away, the underside offers storage for laptop, books etc. when not in use. 4 & 5. Aura mirrors by Bjørn van den Berg. 6. Balcony chaise by Vera & Kyte. 7. Zet Shelving by KaschKasch. 8. Attach lamp by Bjørn van den Berg. 9. Topiary table and floor lamps by Vera & Kyte. 10. Apparel divider by Vera & Kyte.
DIRECTIONAL LIGHT In the years between the biannual Euroluce fair Milan can be rather quiet on the lighting front. For us e15’s new lighting collection filled this void admirably but there were also several lights new and old that we were happy to uncover and rediscover at the cluster of showrooms on Corso Monforte. Artemide have clearly made a huge investment to release their sizeable collection of novelties for this year. The textural emphasis of Herzog & De Meuron’s Unterlinden light was especially popular, as was Nouvel’s strong geometric Equilibrilist lamp. Elsewhere there was the happy news that the String and IC lights by Michael Anastassiades for Flos are in production. We raved about these last year and the detailing on the final versions is exquisite. Just off the main street in the imposing Insituto Di Ciechi Wonderglass gave us another chance to see the wonderful Nao Tamura pendants inspired by the meeting point between the Venetian lagoon and the sky.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Flow(t) by Nao Tamura for Wonderglass. 2. Shogun by Mario Botta - (Not new but an eighties classic rediscovered). 3. Counterbalance wall by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan. 4. Unterlinden by Herzog & De Meuron for Artemide. 5. Tango by Francesco Gomez Paz for Luceplan. 6. Compendium by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan. 7. Conica by David Chipperfield for Artemide. 8. L.U.F.O by Consuline for Luceplan. 9. String by Michael Anastassiades for Flos. 10. Equilibrist by Jean Nouvel for Artemide. 11. Astera by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Fontana Arte.
CITY AND INSTALLATIONS
As with the Fiera the city also felt a bit more muted this year, naturally the parties happened, and the installations were of course there in abundance, but the atmosphere was perhaps not as experimental and explorative as in previous years. We did however have several stand out moments. Nendo’s team excelled themselves again this year with an immense array of projects ranging from the smallest, reinventing the hinge on a pair of glasses, to a large scale installation for Cos. Kvadrat’s designer collaboration had some wonderful interpretations of their seminal Divina fabric. Maarten Baas took on the Milan ‘fairground’ posing many questions that we feel warrant more thought, from us and from others in the industry. Thoughtful projects from the likes of Alvaro Catalan De Ocon, Studio WM, and Poetic Lab amongst others gave us a tiny glimpse into what the future may hold for design at large.
CLARITY + VISION The ever prolific Nendo had no less than 20 projects at different sites across the Fiera and City. The main hub was their solo show in Brera, and whilst their arguable over exposure could make some tire of them we find it is just not possible. There is such irresistible cleverness and nuance not only to the finished products but also their design approach; each product stereotype is broken down and thought of totally anew. This thought process can be seen quite literally in their collaboration with Cos, but is perhaps best realised in the Magne-hinge glasses, where the joint of the arm is totally redesigned with magnets to allow flexibility and prevent breakage. It is a simple idea beautifully executed - which is what they do best. What Kvadrat do best however is fabric. This year it was the 20th anniversary of their ubiquitous Divina fabric and in celebration they invited the likes of Muller Van Severen, Bethan Laura Wood and Philippe Nigro amongst others to reinterpret its potential with wonderful results.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Guadalupe daybed by Bethan Laura Wood for Kvadrat. 2. Close up of the Fishline Chairs by Nendo. 3. Ribbon for Grasse Tokyo (by-n) by Nendo, the ribbon is used both as the identifier for the pefurme and as its diffuser. 4. Nendo x Cos installation. 5. Magne-hinge by Nendo for Tokyo Optical. 6. Shivering Bowls by Nendo for KAMA Sex and Design. 7. Print chair by Nendo.1 8. Chaise by Muller Van Severen for Kvadrat. 9. Layers Cloud Chair by Richard Hutten for Kvadrat. 10. Lasagne by Philippe Nigro for Kvadrat.
EMERGING TALENT For us Lambrate this year was all about the Dutch. There is an immense amount of work on display in the area but three shows shone most brightly for us. 010-020, a group show of young Dutch designers who were also one of last years highlights. Design Academy Eindhoven as ever offered food for thought with it’s self/unself exhibition and Lensvelt worked with OMA on a retrospective of Maarten Van Severen’s work to celebrate their acquisition of the production rights. When debating our highlights of the week one piece was mentioned time and time again; the Lucent Mirror by Studio WM. Made using a circle of dichroic glass that shifts gently across it’s shelf turning it from light source to mirror. It’s simple, poetic and truly stunning. We also loved Rudi Boiten’s ‘Stack the Shelves’ which feature independent rods and shelves that can be manipulated through the use of internal magnets to create structures to fit any space or requirement. François Duquesnoys inventive uses of waste objects to populate his home also won our hearts.
Clockwise from top left: 1. One Week by François Duquesnoy at Self/Unself.2 2. When Duquesnoy moves homes he sources waste objects to convert into furniture for his new home. 3. Stefan Diez’s Chassis chair semi-posed outside Self/Unself. 4. Lucent Mirror by Studio WM at 010-020. 5. Lambrate Arts Space. 6. Lensvelt and OMA installation celebrating the work of Maarten Van Severen. 7. Improvised furniture at Lambrate Arts Space. 9. Pop-up cafe in Lambrate. 10. Stacking the Shelves by Rudi Boiten at Self/ Unself. 11. Het Niewe Instituut’s installation by Lernert and Sander using the archives of famous dutch wallpaper company Rath and Doodeheefver to pose questions about the preservation of design history. 12. Jan Pieter Kaptain’s Second Self Laboratory.
BRIDGING THE PAST Rossana Orlandi continued her collaboration with Museo Bagatti Valsecchi for her ‘Untold’ exhibition. The Museo’s 19th century decor provides a backdrop and a dialogue with the contemporary work exploring the relationship between past and present. Many of the pieces had time and history at their heart including Maarten Baas’ clocks with literal grandparent faces and Marcel Wanders Delft Blue Tatooed Hands. Others such as Wonmin Park were defiantly modern and jarred with the armour and dark wood surrounding them. Libby Sellers chose Palazzo Clerici for her installation ‘De Natura Fossilium’. Formafantasma’s work is often loaded with historical reference and they have made several stunning explorations into the use of primitive materials and processes, this show was no exception. Using lava they constructed a series of geometric, solid yet delicate objects that embraced the imposing palace they resided within. Lastly Droog continued to explore the archives of the Rijksmuseum with their show.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Brilli Pendant Lights by Jacopo Foggini at ‘Untold’. 2. Keystone by Os + Oos at ‘Untold’5 . 3. Grandfather and Grandmother Clocks by Maarten Baas at ‘Untold’. 4. Formafantasma’s Still vessels for Lobymer at ‘Untold’. 5. Jaime Hayon’s Green Chicken at ‘Untold’. 6. Wonmin Park’s Haze Series at ‘Untold’ . 7. Irma Boom’s wallpaper at Droog|Rijksmuseum installation. 8. Delft Blue Tatooed Hands by Marcel Wanders at ‘Untold’. 9. Big Pillar by Formafantasma at ‘De Natura Fossilium’.3 10. Brass Bowl by Formafantasma at ‘De Natura Fossilium’.4 11. Carlo Bach’s Cupboard leaking grains of sand in a darkened room at ‘Untold’. 12. AA Glasses by Studio Droog.
BACK TO BASICS Be it a simple idea, simple shapes or simple materials - all the best pieces at Spazio Rossana Orlandi had a preoccupation with the basics at their core. Piet Hein Eek takes materials often in their purest form and manipulates them to retain their original beauty. Alvaro Catalan De Ocon questioned the very nature of production itself, how can we rethink our methods and materials for the greater good? First with the next stage of his PET lamp project set this year in Chile where his team blended traditional wicker weaving skills and recycled bottles with great results. Next his Home/Office project questioned the need for the new with a celebration of an old technique - embroidery. Scholten and Baijings took on marble as a focus, finding a way to maximise the relationship between patterns natural and man made. Poetic Lab’s Ripple Lights take a light-source and make us reassess it’s relationship with its surroundings as shadows become the focus rather than the light itself. Lastly we loved Mabeo’s ‘big name design meets local skills’ blueprint.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Room Collection by Kyuhyung Cho. 2 Last year’s Beam Chair by Piet Hein Eek in the garden. 3. The infamous RO signage. 4. Home/Office by Alvaro Catalan De Ocon. 5. PET Lamp Chile by Alvaro Catalan De Ocon. 6. Ripple Lights by Poetic Lab. 6. Wash Away by Nacho Carbonell. 7. Patterns tables by Scholten & Baijings for Luce di Carrara. 8. Stacked Lamps by Sander Wassink by Ma’ayan Pesach. 9. Tree Trunk chair by Piet Hein Eek. 10. Sucabaruca coffee set by Luca Nichetto and Lera Moiseeva. 11. Maun Dining Chair by Patty Johnson for Mabeo. 12. Table and Stools by Patricia Urquiola for Mabeo. 13. Rossana Orlandi Garden.
THE MILAN ‘FAIRGROUND’ The real challenge this year to the Milan circus came from seasoned veteran Maarten Baas who returned to the fair with...well... a literal circus. Blaring music, merry go rounds, crazy mirrors; the pieces and the space felt utterly different from anything else experienced this year. Several works were designed with the intent to only look finished from a particular angle or view. With this show Baas and friends gently bite the hand that feeds with affection and humour, and as a consequence make a very valid point about the ‘Milan Fairground’; This festival much like others like it all over the globe relies now more so than ever, in an age of visual ‘soundbites’ via instagram, pinterest etc, on theatre and spectacle over well thought out ideas and innovation. It gave us all some food for thought. Elsewhere Moooi’s ‘The Unexpected Welcome’ was a less rebellious but still very tongue in cheek affair. The flat cardboard backdrops featuring elaborate frescos perhaps a gentle dig at the more serious palazzo based installations of the week?
Clockwise from top left: 1. Entrance to ‘Baas is in Town’. 2. Zwets Lamps by Maarten Baas. 3. Conversation Piece light by Maarten Baas in association with John Körmeling. 4. Bertjan Pot’s Prop Lights at Moooi. 5. Colour Globe Pendants by Scholten & Baijings for Moooi. 6. Taxidermy Zebra at Moooi. 7. Sleeping Clown at ‘Baas is in Town’. 8. Baas Flyers. 9. Medicine Chest “Happy” by Maarten Baas for Carpenters Workshop Gallery. 10. Merry Go Round at Baas. 11. ‘Baas is in Town’ installation with Welcome chair in the foreground.
ELSEWHERE... Our last page is a round up of other great spots from the week. The Memphis retrospective was a massive hit not just with us but with the crowds who attended. The Memphis group are enjoying a bit of a cultural resurgence with Du Pasquier’s collaborations with Wrong for Hay and American Apparel making design blog headlines so the exhibition was perfectly timed to capitalise on their renewed popularity. American designer Stephen Burks made an impression with his show in association with Dwell featuring his work for various companies as well as his pieces from his Man Made show first seen in Brooklyn last year. We particularly liked his Triple Basket Lamp with it’s use of an Aalto Stool as a base. Le Feu Sacre was a show highlighting the potential of French glassware from the village of Meisenthal we loved these pieces by V8. Wallpaper Handmade offered a few gems also, especially Studio Drift’s mirror made from recycled waste.
Clockwise from top left: 1. Revaluation Mirror by Studio Drift at Wallpaper Handmade. 2. Passage of Wood Folly by In Praise of Shadows, Oliver Beer, Dinesen and Workraum Bregenzerwald at Wallpaper Handmade. 3. SKID side table by Sebastian Herkner at Wallpaper Handmade. 4. Carlton divider by Ettore Sotsass at Memphis. 5. Polar & Flamingo by Michele De Lucchi at Memphis. 6. Nathalie Du Pasquier printed table top at Memphis. 7. Triple Basket Lamp by Stephen Burks part of his ‘Man Made’ project using three woven baskets and Aalvar Alto stool to create a floor standing light. 8. Thread Wrapped chair by Stephen Burks for Calligaris. 9. Projo by V8 Designers at Le Feu Sacre. 10. Porto Chair by V8 for Rodet also at Le Feu Sacre.
Many thanks to the following for the use of their images for this review: 1 . Print Chair image by Hiroshi Iwasaki 2 .Image of found objects by Franรงois Duquesnoy 3 & 4 . Formafantasma at De Natura Fossilum images by Luisa Zanzani 5. Keystone image by Raw Color