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DESIGN WEEK 2024: 5 vie - Magenta - Castello Sforzesco
Events not to be missed
Wandering through the streets of 5VIE, Magenta and Castello, we can admire the traces of the beautiful ancient Roman city which, this month, will be one of the centres of Milano Design Week. It is the perfect setting to explore the world of contemporary design set amongst historical buildings and narrow streets. Take a leisurely stroll through these neighbourhoods where heritage and innovation coexist in harmony.
We’ve selected all the events that you definitely shouldn’t miss!
One of the city’s oldest districts is hosting a symphony of special projects and boutiques, from designer items to high-end craftsmanship, and is showcasing them to an international audience under the theme of Unlimited Design Orchestra with 75 events.
The headquarters of the 5Vie Design Week is the stunning Palazzo Litta, at Corso Magenta 24, where different projects will be unveiled side by side. These include Under the Willow Tree by Sara Ricciardi, an installation formed by willow branches that create a melody as wind wafts through small metal bells when visitors pass by, or Salvage by Jay Sae Jung Oh, which invites us to reflect on the value of memory by creating unique works of art from reclaimed objects and wrapping them in thin layers of jute or raw leather.
Also at the Palazzo is the Prendete e Mangiate (Take it and eat it) exhibition which explores the central role of the dining table from prehistory to the present day, showcasing fascinating utensils, plates and glasses reinterpreted by contemporary designers. Alongside it, Shadows & Poems by the duo Eliurpi, where straw thread comes to life as it fashions a universe of surprising and delightful objects. And then there's Omi Iyọ, a project by Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello, making us reflect on the perilous and often fatal journeys of migrants with a boat-shaped mirror from which grains of salt gradually flow onto the ground as a symbol of the crisis’ human toll. Natural Selection, a project by Greek-born renowned carpenter and metallurgic craftsman Kostas Lambridis, will enchant visitors with an installation relating to water.
At the other 5Vie headquarters, on via Cesare Correnti, don't miss the captivating Indian Tiny Mega Store, a project by designer Gunjan Gupta. A miniature supermarket that brings back to life the world of colours, spices, scents and the traditional music of India, displaying twenty-one artisanal everyday items on wooden shelves dating back to the 18th century.
The design district then expands its reach to the enchanting Navigli area with Design Variations: click here to check out the project.
Gaetano Pesce, renowned architect, artist and designer who passed away just days before the start of Design Week, takes centre stage with his Nice to See You exhibition at Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, in the very heart of the city. Circa thirty recent and historic works are on display, chosen for their ability to engage us in a dialogue about the relationship between design and material.
Outside the Pinacoteca, the monumental The Tired Man installation has been set up, aiming to make us reflect on the perceived current lack of innovation and creative energy of the so-called ‘stronger sex’.
In the ancient Sala dei Pilastri of the Castello Sforzesco, dating back to the Visconti period, the Transitions installation by Stark invites visitors to a multisensory exploration themed around types of matter that transform when in contact with water.
The portrait of water here is composed of broken lines that resemble dry terrain, meandering currents and other intangible elements that intersect along their path, creating visual, auditory and textural patterns as they transform. An unexpected trompe-l'oeil reflects matter and human beings as interacting parts of the same nature, all whilst engulfed by an all-immersive soundscape.
Free entry.
This year, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is added to the list of established venues and locations typically used by INTERNI for Design Week.
INTERNI CROSS VISION will present a series of installations that reinterpret the phenomena of the natural world in a new light, enabling visitors to reflect on the more profound value of the environment that surrounds us.
Don't miss Sonosfera by David Monacchi for the Municipality of Pesaro - Italian Capital of Culture 2024, Renco, and the video projection by CastagnaRavelli.
Free entry.
You are all invited to the 5VIE party in collaboration with Seletti: this year’s Design Pride. A parade of floats, exhibitions, performances and music enlivens the entire city centre, staging an explosion of expression and joy.
Taking place on April 17th, we’ll start from Piazza Affari at 6:00 pm and head towards Arco della Pace, where the parade will conclude with an unmissable DJ set that will get you dancing until late at night.
At some point in their lives most fashion enthusiasts will have dreamt of stepping through the doors of the editorial office, and even the closet, of a great magazine. From April 17th to 19th, Vogue Italia opens its physical spaces in Piazzale Luigi Cadorna 5 for the second edition of The Vogue Closet.
To mark Vogue Italia's sixtieth anniversary, The Vogue Closet will also be linked to the Design Week celebrations by retracing the evolution of the magazine.
For three whole days the editorial offices will be creatively reimagined into pages, layouts, backstage scenarios and much more, enabling the public to enter right into the magazine and learn more about the concepts, images, graphics and clothes with which Vogue has narrated and revolutionized the evolution of fashion language.
Free event open to the public upon registration.
As you walk out of the Castello Sforzesco gates and into Parco Sempione, you’ll be greeted by one of Design Week’s most vibrant spots - Piazza del Cannone. This year, Design Society is turning the area into a creative hub where visitors can engage in talks, workshops, live shows and entertainment.
After admiring the interactive exhibitions and artistic installations, treat yourself to a boogie with different DJs and artists every single night: from Le Cannibale to Toy Tonics, culminating in the closing party on April 20th with Made in Italy and other DJ sets (free ticket but mandatory reservation for the evenings).
Rossana Orlandi, the world-renowned designer and art gallery owner, always works to support and promote young talents. During this year’s Design Week, she presents a selection of Collectible Design pieces from around the world. We recommend visiting the Draga&Aurel exhibition curated by architect Giuliano Andrea Dell’Uva and the Korean Craft & Design Foundation's collective exhibition of Designer Craftsmanship and Art.
Finalists of the RoPlastic Prize, which for years has captivated the attention of the public as well as industry professionals, will exhibit their work in this latest installation of the RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC project. Centred around the concept of Re-Waste, the reuse of materials, make sure not to miss this poignant and topical showcase.
Free entry.
On the occasion of the exhibition organised by Triennale Milano on Alessandro Mendini, architect, designer, artist, and theorist, Philippe Starck - who has shared creative and professional experiences with Mendini - pays tribute to the great master with What?, a site-specific installation in the venue’s Impluvium chamber, conceived as an immersive insight into Mendini's intellect.
A combination of images and recordings of Mendini's voice, overlaid with the great master’s laughter, creates an environment of eccentricity, creative fantasy and wit that, according to Starck, were inherent parts of his being.
To best convey his idea, Starck also involved Soundwalk Collective, a collective of artists and musicians that boasts collaborations with the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Nan Goldin and Patti Smith.
Alessandro Mendini is here.
Ticketed event.
For Milano Design Week 2024, Triennale Milano has organised an extensive schedule of exhibitions in addition to Starck's installation. First and foremost, the Universo Satellite - The 25 years of SaloneSatellite exhibition, the Salone del Mobile Milano’s hub dedicated to designers under 35. It will be a celebration of the history of this space which, conceived in 1998 by Marva Griffin, has contributed to providing a platform for young, up and coming talent.
Wallpaper* Class of '24 - free entry - will be showcasing exciting emerging talent in the field of furniture and product design. On display are projects from around the world, from Canada to Korea, London, America and Ghana. A design platform where a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines can deservedly shine on a global stage.
Alessandro Mendini himself, already honoured by Starck with WHAT?, returns with Io sono un drago. The true story of Alessandro Mendini exhibition. This extensive retrospective takes inspiration from one of Mendini’s most emblematic self-portraits. Through it, he describes himself as a mythological creature that is part poet, architect, designer, craftsman, manager, artist, graphic designer and even priest. Visitors will be captivated by a display of different formats, materials and subjects, works of art from numerous public and private collections from around the world.
