One of the most important exhibitions in the field of interior design - Salone del Mobile in Milan, has been canceled, but important trends remain
* English translation of my article in Capital LIGHT
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| Bicocca by IOK |
This year will be memorable for all of us. It is as if everything has stopped and an unprecedented internal reorganization is going on everywhere - regardless of personal desires. But for design, over the past week, the change has been even more tangible, because at this time of year, all of us usually focus on Milan.
If it weren't for the pandemic, the 59th edition of the traditional Salone del Mobile (and with it the Fuori Salone) was to take place in Milan from April 21 to 26 this year - one of the most important design and furniture fairs. every year it welcomes over 400 thousand visitors.
For the thousands of designers, design brands and editors who flock to Milan year after year to try to capture the vast amount of innovation in the halls of Fiera Milano and in the dozens of exhibitions, installations, free events in different parts of the city, and in the evening to take part in the many cocktail parties, this week in the calendar caused a particularly strong nostalgia. This celebration of design has been postponed, and may remain only in our memories. Because change is certain.
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| Monforte by IOK |
The organizers of the exhibition announced that due to the increased spread of the coronavirus in Europe, the 59th edition of Salone del Mobile will not take place. Instead, the International Furniture Fair will be held from 16 to 21 June 2021, when its 60th anniversary will be celebrated. And unlike another year, then all exhibitions will take place simultaneously - Euroluce and EuroCucina, which have alternated so far in the year, the International Exhibition of Bathroom, the International Exhibition of Furniture Accessories, the exhibition oriented to the office, Workplace3.0, S.Project and SaloneSatellite - the program for designers under the age of 35, etc.
After the initial stress, both Italian and furniture companies around the world began offering free online consultations to their clients. Virtual meetings with designers and presentations of the new products, which were planned to be shown this month in Milan, are being organized.
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| BINARIO12 Legno by Аntonio Lupi |
"Despite this difficult time, we have seen the home become a refuge, both physically and spiritually. Design plays an even more important role in our daily lives because it ensures a pleasant existence even in this difficult time," wrote Patricia Ventura, head of the International Press Office. Mobile Salon.
In these extremely unusual conditions for all designers and manufacturers from many countries share their support and send messages of universal solidarity and assurances that despite the crisis they will continue to create the beauty we need to exist. In his Universal Message of Hope and Solidarity, Marcel Wonders, founder and art director of the Dutch furniture company Moooi, says:
"While the world faces an invisible enemy, in these uncertain times we value even more the need to be together. We long to be back in our studio, in our clients' offices and at exhibitions like the Salone del Mobile, where the power of creativity and where we leave motivated and inspired year after year. Even divided at the moment, we are no less committed to creating a design that lifts the human spirit. "
There are daily announcements of virtual festivals and new digital platforms presenting what designers and companies had planned to show at the Milan exhibition this April, such as Fuorisalone Digital, etc. And they seem to confirm the change.
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| LAGO |
Sustainability - the trend that is already a given
Before the pandemic, resilience was the most widely used word in all international events. It was fashionable to talk about sustainable development, but how realistic was it? And can sustainability be more than a "beautiful word"? This question was asked by the mayor of Milan at a press conference for journalists from around the world on February 12, dedicated to the 59th edition of Salone. At the Aula Magna at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, representatives of the international press witnessed a rehearsal for the Salone del Mobile 2020, where beauty, ethics and sustainability emerged as the main themes of this year's exhibition.
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| Ph. Stark for B&B |
The press conference and the preliminary presentation of some of the new approaches and products took place just a week before the news of the appearance of the virus in Italy. They reaffirmed the impression of the January exhibitions in Paris and Cologne: the pursuit of an ethical design approach that strengthens the search for the most sustainable solutions possible in a global context and a growing focus on the needs of future generations who are more interested in the real world. value of what they choose for their home and work environment.
Now that we are witnessing some positive changes in the state of the atmosphere as a result of reduced pollution and slowing down the pace of life, certainly sustainable development using the circular economy in a smart way has a chance to become a reality. It is clear that the pace is slowing down. Trends do not change so fast and sustainability is the focus of companies that are increasingly adapting and working in slower cycles and with more durable materials. We see many new products made from innovative, recyclable and reusable materials, in line with the views of the younger generation.
In order to put into practice the idea of a circular economy and sustainability, the sources of the largest waste must first be identified. In this area, it turns out, one of them are the sets - usually after the exhibitions they are discarded.
Patricia Moroso, art director of the famous furniture company of the same name, presented the solutions that they believe combine the two words - beauty and sustainability - solutions based on the idea of circular production. One of them was for the company to use for the exhibition a stand designed by Patricia Urquiola, with modules from Really panels by Kvadrat, a new material created from recycled textiles, with improved qualities, durability and good sound insulation. These modules can be used in future projects. The material for them is created from natural cotton and wool threads, industrial waste from the fashion and interior industry. As well as recycled textiles from hotels - with the regular change of sheets there are also generated huge amounts of waste. All of them are sorted and then processed without a special binder - only heat and pressure are used. The same Kally Really panels were used for a new version of the Fil shelf, a 1972 design by Pierre Paulin, which Ligne Roset presented at the Maison et Objet exhibition in January in Paris. Some of Moroso's new furniture is also made of such material.
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| RUBEN VAN MEGENV | Ventura Future |
An intriguing idea was presented by Lago's marketing manager Alessandro Checon: the company plans to rent materials and high design furniture for homes, offices and hotels. He said the property model in Italy was "shifting" and that Lago was looking for a system that would allow customers to rent products. "Profiting and negotiating for dealers will be more difficult, but this is a move towards a more sustainable business model. Items will not be lost so much and could find life among more owners."
For its kitchens, the company provides an even greater opportunity for individualization - each customer can choose between different modules, which can be combined depending on the area and needs of the customer and between different types of materials and coatings.
Not an office, but a place to work
Another global trend, the blurring of the boundaries between home and work, was also presented by two women: Martina Pepori, managing director, and Rafaela Manjarotti, chief designer of IOC (International Office Concept), an office furniture company. "Today, the workplace can be anywhere - at home, in the office or even at the airport," Manjarotti said. "That's why we focus on a comfortable, functional and flexible design with soft, warm colors. Happy people work better."
That was in February. Today, after weeks of living limited to the confines of the home, we all know that working from home will continue to be a major option wherever possible. And this will certainly affect the design of furniture and the organization of the interior.
The new Bicocca chaise longue by IOK is a good example of the lack of such a border - together with the Corvetto side table it can be used both for writing e-mails, for example, and for relaxing. And the Monforte modular acoustic panels in a convenient arched shape allow the workplace to be rearranged according to the current need.
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| RIVAGELOUNGE CHAIR by Ritzwell |
The Japanese furniture company Ritzwell presented its new range of chairs and desks, decorated with handmade details inspired by ancient Japanese culture. All wooden elements are made of walnut and oak of controlled origin and are treated with vegetable oils. They call their style organic modernism and each project goes through many evaluations to leave only the best of it and each of their products over time becomes only more beautiful and comfortable.
Another border has been blurred in recent years - the one between inside and outside. Outdoor furniture is already designed so that it is not inferior in comfort and elegance to those for the living room, for example, but they are also waterproof.
The collection "Oh, it rains!" appears as a result of the first collaboration between B&B Italia and Philippe Starck. "Oh, it rains!" is an innovation. It does not follow style or fashion, is resistant to rain and is also an intelligently designed high-tech product with high quality and exceptional comfort, "says the designer.
But the most positive trend in the field of design is the quick release from unnecessary glamor and vanity, from unnecessary investments and costs. More and more famous names in design are sending their video addresses with interesting messages. "The Covid-19 pandemic gives designers a chance to tackle global challenges instead of doing more pointless things," said designer Hela Jongerius in a video recorded for the Virtual Design Festival hosted by Dezeen (one of the most popular sites for architecture and design). It started a few days before the week when Milan Design Week was to take place. The event was originally titled Virtual Milan, but after the apparent disagreement of the organizers in Milan, it was changed. After resolving the controversy, some of the Italian participants in Milan Design Week, such as Ventura Projects, took part in this festival with their virtual events, along with many other online design publications.
These are just some of the initiatives to turn design festivals into virtual events, but they show a clear and irreversible trend for predominant virtual communication and offering of design products. Because designers are the people who are used to working most of the time individually, and "creativity is the ultimate renewable energy," says Ravi Naido, founder of the design platform in South Africa, Design Indaba. Most appeals unite in the message that design should not only be a source of consumer products - it can and should improve the quality of life of all of us.
Norwegian Presence, the annual exhibition organized by Design and Architecture Norway (DOGA) during the Milan Fair, featuring a team of Norwegian designers and manufacturers, chose to follow its planned edition in digital format. Entitled "Innovation in Progress", it also focuses on exploring the possibilities for a circular economy. The Norwegian presence is a reaction to the brilliance that dominates the design field. Both the manufacturers and designers presented at the exhibition are focused on sustainability, looking for opportunities to work with zero waste and low-carbon emissions. Many of the designers in the show have created products using natural materials in their raw state, which means that they are not only sustainable to produce, but will be easy to recycle in the future.
"Consumption quarantine"
"The epidemic will lead to a global recession of unprecedented proportions, but will ultimately allow humanity to regain its values," said Lee Edelcourt, who heads New York Forecasting Agency Edelkoort Inc. and is one of the most influential figures. in design and fashion, advisor to consumer brands around the world, former chairman of the Eindhoven Academy of Design, dean of hybrid design research at the Parsons School of Design in New York. "It seems that we are entering consumer quarantine en masse, where we will learn how to be happy with just a simple dress, rediscovering old favorite things we have, reading a forgotten book ...
Not many people understand what is happening to our world and economy at the moment. Often in companies up to 90 percent of all goods are made in China from plastic and polyester. Soon we will see empty shelves for shoes, phones, clothes ... We will have a shortage of medical supplies and we will witness the cessation of the endless production of ugly souvenirs and useless products. This will allow us to open a blank page for a fresh start, because many companies will disappear in the process of delay.
Redirection and restart will require a lot of insight and audacity to build a new economy with other values and ways to manage production, transport, distribution and retail. "
On the other hand, the largest market - that of home products - is in the spotlight. What is important for all of us now is the environment in which we are now forced to spend most of our time, and that means more investment in this sector. While furniture companies and design studios are investing in digital communications, sales of home improvement, gardening and interior design products in the United States rose 13 percent in March, according to Criteo's trading platform.
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