02/04/2013

Sneak Peek into Salone del Mobile 2013

Sneak Peek into Salone del Mobile 2013

The craze about this year’s Salone has already started. We are being reminded of events, cocktails and presentations, shown products, ambients, locations, and, most of all, reminded of names, names and names that should present the hottest stuff in the design world this year. Well, we have to admit that we have resisted for quite a while before diving into the event lists of Salone del Mobile 2013, but, finally, have decided to cope with the flux of events and pick what might be the most interesting things to see this year.

This tour needs to start at Ventura Lambrate, a venue that has substituted Zona Tortona in being the most exquisite place where to learn about new and upcoming designers. This prestigious status is being confirmed with the presence of a few big names who have decided to present their work at Lambrate, like Established & Sons and Diesel. Besides rooted design names, we can also look forward to seeing some exciting projects coming from leading European design schools like Design Academy Eindhoven, Aalto University – School Of Arts, Design And Architecture, or Faculty of Design and Art – Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

Another much expected event is surely Tom Dixon’s second edition of MOST, which will once again occupy Milan’s National Museum of Science and Technology. MOST will present Tom Dixon’s latest collection, a set of objects produced almost exclusively in metal, like solid brass champagne buckets and faceted furniture inspired by gemstones. Brera Design District, on the other hand, will explore traditional crafts and their relationship with the industry, particularly suitable theme for an area countersigned by small shops and big designer showrooms, like that of the Italian company Moroso designed by Patricia Urquiola.

A few other smaller exhibitions must not be skipped this year. The firs one is a show by Swiss-based studio Big-Game at Galleria 70. Titled “Everyday Objects”, the show will present a collection of their recent projects for brands like Alessi, Hay, Karimoku New Standard. Another young designer, Philippe Malouin, will show his work in a solo exhibition at Project B gallery, demonstrating his particular approach that relays on the simplicity of forms associated to a sophisticated design concept.

After taking a glance at the future of design with these two names, please don’t forget to get to know something about the past too, since Flos will be holding a show of the grand master of Italian lighting design, Gino Sarfatti. And if you still have the energy and the will to look at anything else after these shows, Triennale Design Museum and Spazio Rossana Orlandi are two ‘musts’ of every Salone, together with Inventario’s exhibition about books at Museo Poldi Pezzoli.

Every Salone del Mobile appears to be bigger, better and stronger than the one before, leading us to think that there is so much need for posh and spicy design today. Well, even though the sheer quantity of names and events will prevent anyone from remembering anything at all after a day it is all over, we still hope some designers might surprise us with their thoughtfulness, intelligence and wit.

Rujana Rebernjak

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06/04/2011

Architect Barbie Does Milano

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Architect Barbie Does Milano

Barbie has worn many hats in her long life. Mostly frilly ones, berets, and the kind fancy ladies wear when they go “skiing” in Cortina, but mostly just sit in the lodge and drink hot chocolate. Now, though, she’s donning a harder hat. After being everything from an astronaut to a corporate executive, Barbie’s career trajectory has finally taken a turn we can get into. She’s become a maker-innovator with the release of her latest incarnation: Architect Barbie.

For 2011 she’s taken on a career that’s eminently 21st century and in line with the forward-thinking ladies of today. With Barbie’s obvious appreciation for design – think pink Corvette convertibles and well-furnished plastic mansions – it’s surprising that it’s taken her this long to realise her passion for the built world. And since she’s been in the fashion game her whole life (and has a bigger wardrobe than Franca Sozzani, Anna Wintour and Anna dello Russo combined), it’s about time she used her highly cultivated taste and sense of style to solve some pressing problems. And we’re very happy that our hot plastic friend has broken the glass ceiling of one of the last remaining male-dominated professions.


So, Architect Barbie has arrived to do battle with the likes of Zaha Hadid, Eileen Gray, Kazyuo Sejima and other female luminaries of our day. What will she call her practice? Barbitecture? Will she trade in her subscription to Glamour for Domus and Architectural Digest? And we can only imagine the kinds of buildings she’ll dream up. While she’ll likely be behind some seriously well-executed shopping malls, we hope she’s passionate about urban housing and radical public green spaces, too.

In honour of Salone Del Mobile, Barbie paid us a visit and let her hair down for a whirlwind tour of Milan’s famous architecture. Once we managed to get her out of La Galleria and away from Piazza Duomo, she went absolutely crazy for Torre Pirelli. But Torre Velasca scared the living daylights out of her. And at the end of the day, she proclaimed that she was “so over pink,” thinking about switching to biodegradable plastic, and that Gio Ponti is her new hero.

Now you’re talking, Barbie.

Text and photos by Tag Christof – Very special thanks to Sofia La Rosa

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