Serial: Auxiliary Lines for Things & People #08: Milan Design Week 2023
PROFILE
Mai Tsunoo / Design Writer
After graduating from Keio University, Faculty of Environmental Information, I worked at a manufacturer before becoming an assistant to designer Shunji Yamanaka from 2012 to 2016. Following that, I stayed in Scotland for a year and am currently working as a freelancer.
While exploring expressions to convey what needs to be communicated without hesitation, I engage in writing for media such as "Nikkei Design," exhibition composition, and copywriting.
Notable works include the exhibition composition for the 70th Anniversary Display of the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science "POTENTIALITIES: Exhibition For A Possible Future" (National Art Center, 2018) and text writing for "Insects: Models for Design" (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, 2019).
Instagram / Web
This was my first Milan Design Week in four years. I felt nostalgic seeing the clear blue skies.
I could only see the festival for about three days due to personal circumstances, but it felt like I reestablished my connection with global design at this grand design event after a long time.
I could only see the festival for about three days due to personal circumstances, but it felt like I reestablished my connection with global design at this grand design event after a long time.
While I didn’t experience many exhibits, I’m unsure if it’s appropriate to provide comprehensive comments here. However, the narrative surrounding concepts of “sustainability,” which once seemed like the biggest trend just a few years ago, seems to have been replaced by self-generating and machine-controlled works. In contrast to designs utilizing CG and technology in collaborative work with computers, physical works were prominent, leaving traces of human touch.
Rossana Orlandi, a prominent design gallery, presents clear and easy-to-understand trends. Located in the southwestern part of Milan, this gallery annually showcases numerous emerging designers, and it is not uncommon for artists to gain fame from here. While her gallery currently holds awards for recycled plastics, this year, works highlighting sustainability were not prominently featured. Nonetheless, there were a few pieces that left a lasting impression.
One notable piece was the "Soup Collection" by Sarah Collins. By importing numerous images of tables and chairs into a computer and seamlessly connecting them, an ambiguous moment is created. This piece captures that moment, resulting in a handcrafted wooden chair. Behind the mahogany chair, which appears almost "CG-like," the form resembling a failed chair continues to twist and move.
Another piece that stood out due to its digital control appeal was "Topographic furniture" by Dolomitisch. This unit, consisting of furniture designers and researchers focused on mountainous environments, incorporates various mountain terrain data into furniture design through CNC processing. The juxtaposition of the machine’s advantages with the strength of crafted items is noteworthy, ensuring it is more than just mountain data placed on a bench.
Simultaneously, it was intriguing to see handmade ceramic works by Michela Castagnaro being sold in the same venue. The craftsmanship of a candle object, resembling an illustration, possesses a charm that is certainly devoid of convenience and mechanization.
Another element that I felt could increase in the future was the collaboration with performers. The presentation titled "Six Acts" by the lighting brand Flos featured performers arriving daily to perform "everyday life" in spaces adorned with lighting fixtures. Moreover, the layouts changed every day. For example, on the first day, the setup resembled a living room, enabling activities such as setting up chess, taking photographs with instant cameras, and similar "behaviors" that continued for hours.
The lighting fixture "My Circuit" introduced in this presentation is designed by the increasingly prominent Michael Anastassiades. It allows for a flexible combination of ceiling-mounted tracks and pendant lights, enabling the positioning of hanging lights to vary according to room layouts. This idea contributed to the performances taking place in different spaces every day. After about three years of development following the prototype presentation, it has now been commercialized.
Share Article
TOP ARTICLES
RELATED ARTICLES
CONTACT
If you have any questions or enquiries, please enter your details in the form below.