MILAN 2013 REPORT
Images clockwise from top left:
Nomadic Design, Love Boat by Bokja; Digital Fantasy, THAT Stefan Diez, photography by Seymourpowell; Reflections on Nature, Ripple project by Studio Shiikai & Poetic Lab
technologies, are driving many people to lead a more nomadic lifestyle. At this year’s show we saw many examples of designers creating pieces that responded to this growing human desire for spontaneity, transformation and movement. A compelling example of this trend was the collaboration between influential designer Tom Dixon and Adidas, which had generated much pre-show anticipation. They presented ‘The Capsule’ - a collection that they described as “everything you can pack neatly in a bag for a week away”. Fittingly, the exhibition was housed in a former railway station that had been brought to life with sounds of steam trains and intermittent puffs of smoke. A perpetual state of motion was achieved with conveyor belts, which rotated the collection past expectant viewers. The range focused on the notion of transformation and multi-functionality by including items such as parkas that transformed into sleeping bags and backpacks that unfolded to form makeshift wardrobes. Whilst we enjoyed The Capsule collection’s contemporary utilitarian aesthetic, we also appreciated the more folk embellished expression of Nomadic Design on show from Beirut based designers Bokja. They presented ‘The Migration Collection’, which had been inspired by “the hopes and fears of people who make the decision to create a home somewhere other than the place they were born”. Their collection included ‘The Migration Sofa’ which appeared to carry a
burden of rolled up rugs and bedding on its ‘back’. ‘Migration Wallpaper and Rugs’ bore the motif of birds reflecting their annual migration from one side of the world to another, and plates and cups were embellished with motifs of people who have migrated because of war, political instability and even love. We were amused to see that the notorious migration of film star Gérard Depardieu, who has recently registered as a Russian resident amid a tax row with France, was also referred to.
REFLECTIONS ON NATURE As the mass migration to the world’s cities continues and our hyper-connected lives become more fast-paced, we increasingly desire moments of contemplative stillness and seek to take time out to re-connect with the beauty of nature. Indeed, for the last three years or so in Milan, one could witness designers referencing nature in both their form factor and material choices. However, this year we felt that something new was emerging and that the love for all things natural had taken on an almost spiritual or meditative meaning. We were particularly drawn to those designs that blended the technological with the natural, as they seemed to hint at a future where technology would enhance our sense of wellbeing rather than decrease it. An example of this could be seen from Japanese technology giants Toshiba, who had partnered with design studio IXI to create an installation titled ‘Soffio’ which is the Italian for breath. The
installation was comprised of tiny LED lights and crystals that hung in a darkened room slowly fading from dark to half light. As the lights' brightness increased, the crystals next to them created a halo effect around the light, allowing ephemeral thin rainbows to appear.
Similarly lifting our spirits through the recreation of natural phenomena was the Ripple Project by Studio Shiikai and Poetic Lab. The Ripple Project lamp casts out dappled shadow and light that are reminiscent of those found on surfaces of water. The pleasing effect is created by projecting a beam of light through a gently rotating mouth-blown glass dome and offered a meditative moment to passing show goers who took the opportunity to sit down in front of it as a break from the hustle and bustle of the show.
The trend for ‘Reflection on Nature’ took a celestial turn at Spazio Rossana Orlandi, where Eindhoven based design duo OS and OOS were exhibiting a clock/light that was inspired by lunar eclipses. The new piece is a build on their Syzygy range of lights, which have been named after the astrological term that describes the alignment of three celestial bodies in the same gravitational system. What we particularly enjoyed about the design was that it tapped into our innate human desire to gaze up at the sky and wonder…
www.seymourpowell.com
idtmagazine.co.uk | Interior Design Today | 29
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