Interni

Qeeboo and INTERNI, the interior and contemporary design magazine published by Mondadori Group, commemorate Andrea Branzi with Equilibri Instabili, a special event to inaugurate an exhibition of unpublished objects and present a new book dedicated to the designer.

Thursday, October 10, Qeeboo Loft in Milan will become an exceptional stage for remembering the great architect and internationally renowned designer one year after his death. On display will be four unreleased collections, some in limited editions — carpets, cushions, ceramics, and metal objects — designed by Branzi for Qeeboo, a brand founded by Stefano Giovannoni, Andrea’s friend for more than thirty years.

‘Qeeboo once again confirms its focus on innovation and research, keeping the memory of one of the brightest minds in the world of design and architecture alive,’ says Stefano Giovannoni.

For the event, the volume Equilibri Instabili, curated by the architect Matteo Vercelloni for INTERNI and published by Electa, will be presented. The volume collects more than two hundred texts by Andrea Branzi written and published in INTERNI, a permanent observatory on the culture of design and architecture that the author collaborated with from 1979 to 2023. This anthology of articles and essays is accompanied by a few of his drawings, retracing forty years of reflections on the ‘project’ and broader changes in society through dialogues, portraits, and interviews with leading figures in design and criticism. Topics such as the city and the metropolis, modernity balanced between technology and animism, but also reflections on teaching, art, and suggestions for politicians are just some of the numerous ‘acrobatic’ topics — as Branzi liked to define them — and cultural fields that the author approached and always presented in clear and immediate prose.

‘This collection, unlike other publications by Andrea Branzi, may appear eclectic, but it actually expresses a wide-ranging freedom of thought, unconstrained by a specific topic and therefore fruitful and rich with references, synergies, and skilful interdisciplinary elixirs,’ explains Gilda Bojardi, Director of the INTERNI System. ‘His approach to the world of the project, which is revealed in these writings presented in clear prose understandable to every reader, has always been based on close observation tied to the anthropological-cultural scene around us. As Branzi reminds us, the history of design has never been just a history of objects, but also a history consisting of thoughts, religions, politics, and people.’ For Gilda Bojardi, hers with Branzi was ‘a special friendship that lasted over time, contributing to my professional growth from the very beginning through discreet but indispensable advice. His advice accompanied me in a world that did not belong to me and where the directions he suggested constituted valuable forays into new and unexplored territories. So a big thank you, Andrea, for always giving us not writings, but capsules of wisdom.’

This extraordinary event represents an important moment to highlight the value and role of Branzi’s thought in architecture, urban planning, and contemporary design, with the participation of Stefano Giovannoni, designer and founder of Qeeboo, Gilda Bojardi, Director of the INTERNI System, Matteo Vercelloni, architect and curator of the book Equilibri Instabili, and Nicoletta Morozzi, among others.

The objects on display, including the limited editions, can be purchased at www.qeeboo.com. Equilibri Instabili will be available in bookstores starting on October 22.

ABOUT QEEBOO

Founded in 2016 in Milan by Stefano Giovannoni, Qeeboo is an Italian design brand. His objects are the result of a design culture that combines thought, vision, and emotion, leading individuals to feel free to reconnect with their creative side. With a touch of pop, wonder, and culture, Qeeboo creations are designed to enhance each individual’s style, bringing originality to every environment while maintaining a strict attention to detail and final quality.
For more information, visit www.qeeboo.com

INTERNI

A monthly magazine with a circulation of 50,000 copies, publishing began in 1954 as the first Italian periodical dedicated to interior decoration. Today INTERNI is one of the main communication tools in contemporary Italian and international design, essential for professionals and design enthusiasts. In 2024 it will be celebrating its first seventy years, during which it has been fortunate enough to share in the fantastic and adventurous history of Italian furniture and interior design. It has closely followed the growth expressed by design through the intuition and work of brilliant cultural figures, capable and courageous architects, designers and entrepreneurs. In the early 1990s, the monthly magazine became part of Mondadori Group, Italy’s leading publishing group, and a system of parallel publications have developed over time under the editorship of Gilda Bojardi, transforming the magazine from elite media to mass media. Activities by INTERNI also include the development and coordination of events and exhibitions organised to foster interaction between the different people involved in design, production and distribution. The famous FuoriSalone, an urban event that enlivens the city of Milan during the week of Salone del Mobile, was organised by INTERNI in 1990. It celebrated its 30th edition in 2021 with the publication of Volume XXX-Y 30 anni di FuoriSalone | 1990-2020 Milano Design Stories (Electa). Following the start of publication of INTERNI in China (2015), the expansion of international editions is planned. INTERNI is a communications partner of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka | The Ideal City.

INTERNI is once again this year participating in a Press Café organised as part of Cersaie 2024 in Bologna (23–27 September), the international exhibition of ceramics for architecture and bathroom furnishings. For the occasion, Mondadori Group’s interiors and contemporary design magazine presents The good city: for responsible and generous architecture with speaker Alfonso Femia, an architect and founder of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia AF517 with offices in Genoa, Milan and Paris. Much of his design and philosophical work is dedicated to water and the architecture of Mediterranean cities.

Along with journalist Patrizia Catalano, Alfonso Femia will speak about the importance of water, a resource that should be everyone’s right but which is often wasted on the well-being of a small part of the population while it is scarce in many countries around the world. The conversation will also highlight how collective awareness of the value of this supreme commodity can lead us to reconsider our values (even those we believe to be inalienable) and imagine new spaces and projects for cities that are made for everyone.

The good city: for responsible and generous architecture will be held tomorrow, Tuesday 24 September at 3 p.m. at the Press Café (Agorà dei Media – Mall 29/30). Gilda Bojardi, director of the INTERNI system will open the event.

The magazine is also celebrating its 70^th anniversary with a special display in the Lounge Bar Gardens 25/26 customised with 70 covers. These will then be distributed in poster format at the INTERNI stand.

For information www.internimagazine.it

INTERNI

A monthly magazine with a circulation of 50,000 copies, publishing began in 1954 as the first Italian periodical dedicated to interior decoration. Today INTERNI is one of the main communication tools in contemporary Italian and international design, essential for professionals and design enthusiasts. In 2024 it will be celebrating its first seventy years, during which it has been fortunate enough to share in the fantastic and adventurous history of Italian furniture and interior design. It has closely followed the growth expressed by design through the intuition and work of brilliant cultural figures, capable and courageous architects, designers and entrepreneurs. In the early 1990s, the monthly magazine became part of Mondadori Group, Italy’s leading publishing group, and a system of parallel publications have developed over time under the editorship of Gilda Bojardi, transforming the magazine from elite media to mass media. Activities by INTERNI also include the development and coordination of events and exhibitions organised to foster interaction between the different people involved in design, production and distribution. The famous FuoriSalone, an urban event that enlivens the city of Milan during the week of Salone del Mobile, was organized by INTERNI in 1990. It celebrated its 30^th edition in 2021 with the publication of Volume XXX-Y 30 anni di FuoriSalone | 1990-2020 Milano Design Stories (Electa). Following the start of publication of INTERNI in China (2015), the expansion of international editions is planned. INTERNI is a communications partner of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka | The Ideal City.

On the occasion of the 2024 Pesaro Italian Capital of Culture, INTERNI, the Mondadori Group’s interior and contemporary design magazine, and Scavolini, present a series of talks entitled Cooking up Ideas – Design, Creativity, Inclusion, three events with the faces of design and beyond, identifying how to transform the kitchen from mere functionality to a multicultural, performance-oriented space.

These events will also tell the story of the development of two historic brands: INTERNI, which celebrates 70 years of business this year, and Scavolini, a leading company in this sector, founded in 1961, right in Pesaro. Both have been a part of the economic and cultural development of the country, transforming the kitchen into a highly developed product that can be adapted to different contexts.

“Today, more than ever, we talk about the kitchen in a broader sense: the domestic space used for storing and preparing food has been transformed into a ‘multitasking environment’ that is the focal point of the family unit, the heart and brain of the home”, explained Gilda Bojardi, Director of the INTERNI system. “The kitchen is increasingly active, the setting for culinary ‘performances’, and it is increasingly lived-in, an extension of the living area. It becomes a special place, the beating heart of domestic socialising. The kitchen as a space for processing ideas is also a concept that extends beyond the domestic space: the restaurant kitchen is the home of chefs who put their creativity at the service of their customers every day. It is the school kitchen, where the art of making and inventing is taught. It is the place where cultural and social differences are best understood and encountered, from soup kitchens for the needy to kitchens in prisons and care homes”.

Kicking off the series of talks is Kitchen and Design, scheduled for Thursday, 12 September at 6 pm at the Teatro Rossini in Pesaro (Sala della Repubblica – Piazza Lazzarini, 1). After introductions by Fabiana Scavolini, Scavolini Managing Director, Gilda Bojardi, INTERNI System Director, and Daniele Vimini, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture of the City of Pesaro, the speakers, moderated by journalist Patrizia Catalano, will be Imma Forino, Professor of Interior Architecture and Interior Design at the Polytechnic University of Milan, and Fabio Novembre, architect, designer, and founder of Novembre Studio.

The other two events will take place in the Palazzo Gradari Salone Nobile in Pesaro (Via Rossini 24) at 6 pm. On 11 October, Kitchens and Gen Z will be held with Camilla Bellini, Francesca Del Conte WAYouth ETS, Spalvieri & Del Ciotto, while on 22 November it’ll be Made in Italy and Internationality with Luca Nichetto and Daniele Busca.

The talks are open to the public, subject to availability.

For more information, visit: www.internimagazine.it

To celebrate its 70^th anniversary, INTERNI is turning over a new leaf and charting a new course. Starting with the May issue, the Mondadori Group’s interior and contemporary design magazine, edited by Gilda Bojardi, will have a new look: an entirely redesigned graphical design by the Tomo Tomo studio and even more content documenting, interpreting and promoting the evolution of projects in architecture, interior and design.

The new INTERNI, on newsstands as of Friday 3 May, will offer a broader range of columns to broaden the interpretation of projects from the macro to micro scale, expanding the vision towards science and the humanities. To do so, it will also rely on the curious and critical gaze of well-known professionals from around the world, who will report on project-related events, achievements and personalities.

The richer content will also correspond to a clearer, simpler and also more rigorous graphical image. Davide Di Gennaro and Luca Pitoni, founders of the Tomo Tomo studio and new art directors of INTERNI, explain: ‘A few years ago, Jasper Morrison called it Supernormal, an approach to design in search of pure form, the simplest form, without frills that distract from the function. The new graphical design of INTERNI is based on the same idea. A dryness and visual linearity guide the contents, a distinctive frame that enhances rather than overpowers, with the idea that a magazine consists first and foremost of its contents. We wanted larger photographs, more readable texts and a more obvious, linear structure, all aimed at building the strength of this new visual form. This timeless form adopts and updates the stylistic features of modernism to bring freshness and character to the pages of this historical magazine.’

The new image of INTERNI will debut in May with an English-language issue that will be officially presented in New York at NYCxDesign (16–23 May 2024) with a focus on the American creative scene. The virtuous design relationships binding Italy to New York — and the United States in general — are documented by the stories of outstanding Italians who have chosen their base of operations overseas and also American designers who have established fertile collaborations with Made in Italy companies. These are featured in the issue with a wide-ranging report on their settlement in the Big Apple through increasingly important and striking spaces and showrooms: a tangible sign of the growing success of Italian design in the American market.

The unveiling of the new issue will also form the centrepiece of a gala evening at the Consulate General of Italy in New York, where INTERNI will celebrate its 70th anniversary on 20 May with a talk entitled Big Italy in New York – Manufacturing Value. Inclusiveness, Innovation and Sustainability. The event will see the extraordinary participation of Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in New York, Gilda Bojardi, Director of INTERNI Magazine, Carlotta de Bevilacqua, President and CEO of Artemide, Laura Anzani, CEO of Poliform USA, Giulio Cappellini, an architect, designer and entrepreneur, Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, Francesco Farina, CEO of B&B Italia Americas, Bjarke Ingels Studio, BIG, Gabellini Sheppard Associates Giuseppe Lignano, LOT-EK, Lissoni Architecture NY, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and SOM.

The May issue of INTERNI will also be specially distributed in the most representative showrooms and flagship stores of the NoMad, Madison Avenue and Soho circuit; ICFF; the most important design studios in New York; major design and architecture schools; Libreria Rizzoli; and a select number of book and magazine stores.

The launch of the new issue will also be supported nationwide with a publicity campaign in major newspapers and trade publications and at points of sale.

Expectations were exceeded for INTERNI CROSS VISION at FuoriSalone 2024, which gave the design crowd intersecting visions of different cultures, languages, knowledge and countries thanks to projects with strong implications about research, sustainability and the future.

From 15 to 28 April, the event created and coordinated by the Mondadori Group’s magazine edited by Gilda Bojardi was the most popular at Design Week, with record numbers of participants and visitors. In fact, 548,000 people visited the University of Milan, the Eni Space at the Brera Botanical Garden, the Audi House of Progress at Portrait Milano and, for the first time, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. For the second year running, there was also great success at the two satellite venues: Eataly Milano Smeraldo and De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol.

This edition of the exhibition, which also celebrated the magazine’s first 70 years, translated the concept of “Visioni Incrociate” (ICross Vision) into experimental installations, understood as lateral, multifaceted ideas that allows apparently opposing concepts to be combined: technology and crafts, art and industry, artifice and nature, materiality and digitalisation, which today are complementary and indispensable aspects of the contemporary innovation process. At the same time, it highlights the role that Italian design culture plays in this process. During the FuoriSalone, Milan becomes a design gym for architects, designers and creative people from around the world, who come for the opportunity to compare their visions and blend knowledge in a common effort to build a more beautiful and sustainable world.

With the contribution of the 3 co-producers (Audi, Eni and the General Administration for Italy at the 2025 Osaka Expo) and in collaboration with companies and institutions, INTERNI gathered more than 40 young, famous Italian and international designers and architects and different artists in a fusion of Architecture, Design and Art. For the exhibition, 40 installations, micro-architectures and macro-objects have been created, all site-specific, that – together with conferences, talks, live performances and showcases – created a varied mosaic of styles and visions, as well as time for discussion, attracting thousands of people. Visitors included large numbers of Italian and international journalists, who provided excellent coverage for INTERNI CROSS VISION in the daily papers, on radio and TV, in the trade press and in popular magazines, and ensured the exhibition was continually visible on the main social media channels and the Internet.

The INTERNI exhibition, which was created in 1990 on the initiative of Gilda Bojardi, the magazine’s editor, cemented itself as the central event of the FuoriSalone. The foundation of its success is the outstanding design and cultural content of the installations, the internationally famous brands involved, which are flanked by smaller operations who also offered very interesting exhibits. The exceptional response from both the public and the media reflects INTERNI’s outright leadership in the professional living sector and in design system communication.

We thank the co-producers Audi with BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Eni with Italo Rota and CRA Carlo Ratti Associati, the General Administration for Italy at the 2025 Osaka Expo, and all the companies, designers and architects who participated: Wu Bin with Yardcom, Architect Vivian Coser with Centrorochas, ApexBrasil, Mario Cucinella with Roca, Jacopo Foggini and Massimo Iosa Ghini with Kiko Milano, Architect Annabel Karim Kassar with Annaka, Designer Toshiyuki Kita with Bizen City and Odate City, Architect Kengo Kuma with Quarella, Artist Cyril Lancelin with Fidenza Village – The Bicester Collection, Designer Arik Levy with Sans Souci, Architect Piero Lissoni with Sanlorenzo, Architects MAD – Architects MA Yansong and Andrea D’Antrassi with Amazon, Architect Simone Micheli with Path, Veronica Pesenti Rossi with Rubner Haus, Marco Piva with Saint-Gobain, Topotek1 – Martin Rein-Cano with Mapei and MDT-Tex, Bruno Simões with ApexBrasil, Patricia Urquiola with Cimento, Michele De Lucchi – AMDL Circle and Guido Scarabottolo with INTERNI 70 Years, Architect Marco Acerbis with Santini Cycling, Artist Carlo Bach with illycaffè and Kartell, Alessandra Baldereschi with No.3 Gin, Emiliano Calderini with Zentiva Italia, Architect Giulio Cappellini with Comunità San Patrignano, Designer Ludovica Diligu and Artists Plastique Fantastique with Labo.Art, Architect Tom Dixon with VitrA, Artist Dario Ghibaudo with Galleria De Ambrogi, Kutnia Design Hub, La Errería * Architecture Office with Tile of Spain, Claudio Larcher and Italo Rota with NABA and AMSA, Federica Marangoni with Simone Cenedese, Lorenzo Palmeri with Stone Italiana, Catello Raffaele with IUAD, Marco Nereo Rotelli with Bertolotto, David Monacchi with Comune di Pesaro, Capitale della Cultura Italiana 2024, and Renco, CastagnaRavelli, Marcantonio with qeeboo, Giulio Cappellini with Eataly, Studio Azzurro with Urban Up | Unipol.

Installations, themed exhibitions and micro-architecture that highlight the know-how, research and experimentation of Italian design and its interaction with the world, embracing and emphasising the universal principles of sustainability and protection of the places where we live. This is the idea behind the eagerly awaited INTERNI CROSS VISION exhibition-event, held to celebrate the magazine’s 70th anniversary and make the next edition of FuoriSalone unforgettable.

More than 40 creative projects by more than 44 designers from 12 different countries will be presented at 6 iconic locations across Milan, which will host 14 days of events, meetings and talks with leading figures in design and much more. These are the numbers for Interni Cross Vision, the exhibition created by INTERNI, the magazine for interiors and contemporary design produced by the Mondadori Group and edited by Gilda Bojardi. The events will take place from 15 to 28 April in the courtyards of the University of Milan, Eni Space at the Brera Botanical Garden, and Portrait Milano, home of the Audi House of Progress. Renewing its role as an ‘activator’ of design energy, INTERNI expands its exhibition venues this year, including for the second time Eataly Milano Smeraldo and De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol, and, for the first time, Università Cattolica.

The exhibition intends to express the transverse, polyphonic thinking that allows apparently opposing concepts to be combined — technology and craftsmanship, art and industry, production and nature, materials and digital products — understood as complementary and indispensable elements of contemporary innovation. At the same time, it highlights the role that Italian design culture plays in this process. During Design Week in April, Milan becomes a design gym for architects, designers and creative people from around the world, who come for the opportunity to compare their visions and blend knowledge in a common effort to build a more beautiful and sustainable world.

INTERNI CROSS VISION is one of the main initiatives proposed by the Municipality of Milan for Design Week and FuoriSalone 2024. The latter was created in 1990 by Gilda Bojardi and is universally recognised as a key event in international design and architecture.

INTERNI’S 70^TH ANNIVERSARY

But INTERNI CROSS VISION, is also an opportunity to celebrate INTERNI’s 70^th anniversary, with 30 years under the creative leadership of director Gilda Bojardi.

‘In April, INTERNI officially begins the celebrations for its first 70 years of publication, a dense journey that has documented, interpreted and promoted the evolution of architecture, interior design and design around the world,’ says Gilda Bojardi. ‘In 70 years, we have had the fortune to share in the fantastic, adventurous history of Italian design and furnishing, the famous Made in Italy trademark, and we have closely followed the growth it expresses thanks to the work of brilliant men and women in culture, architects and designers, intuitive and courageous entrepreneurs. INTERIOR has evolved with design. With an increasingly precise commitment to communicating the project culture internationally, it has developed a system of parallel publications to shift the monthly magazine from elite media to mass media. Its activities also include the conception and coordination of events and exhibitions, organised to foster interaction between the different people designing, producing, distributing and disseminating.’

For this important anniversary, AMDL CIRCLE – Michele De Lucchi and Guido Scarabottolo have created Diorama 70, an installation in the auditorium of the University of Milan that presents a journey immersed in a landscape that can be observed from multiple perspectives and unconventional angles. Drawing, art and architecture meet in a large-scale diorama that transposes Scarabottolo’s signs from paper to an unexpected size, inviting exploration and three-dimensional immersion. This imaginary scene can be traversed, winding through seven majestic mountains, each of which narrates one of INTERNI’s 70 years of history. The display culminates in an imposing erupting volcano, a vibrant symbol of the magazine’s vitality and incessant dynamics. The evocative metaphor complements the magazine’s cross-cutting approach to the changes in morphology, aesthetics and landscape of Milan that it has witnessed for 70 years. The decision to produce the scenic effects of a diorama translates into the exclusive use of paper to create all the elements, with particular attention to the selection of materials. In each of the seven mountains, the story of the magazine’s seven decades continues through 700 covers, which are graphically combined and presented to visitors in the form of posters, rounding out the entire narrative scenario.

To kick off the celebrations, INTERNI organised an exclusive gala dinner on Sunday 14 April in the 18^th-century courtyard of the University of Milan. The evening was reserved for 200 guests, including entrepreneurs, architects and designers, and seven outstanding designers — Piero Lissoni, Patricia Urquiola, Michele De Lucchi, Ferruccio Laviani, Benedetta Tagliabue, Francesca Lanzavecchia and Elena Salmistraro — recounted 70 years of design through the mise en place and decorations on the 21 tables.

INTERNI CROSS VISION, which already promises to be memorable for its variety, research and distinctiveness, will be officially presented on Monday 15 April at 14.30 in the auditorium at the University of Milan (via Festa del Perdono, 7). In addition to designers, the press conference will be attended by: Ambassador Mario Vattani, General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka; Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation; Satoshi Suzuki, Japanese Ambassador to Italy; Mauro Battocchi, Director General for Promotion of ‘Sistema Paese’; Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policies, Municipality of Milan; Maria Pia Abbracchio, Deputy Vice-Chancellor focused on Research and Innovation, University of Milan; Franco Anelli, Rector of Università Cattolica; Antonio Porro, CEO of Mondadori Group; Fabrizio Longo, Director of Audi Italia; Matteo Ricci, Mayor of Pesaro – Italian Capital of Culture 2024; and Gilda Bojardi, Director of INTERNI. The conference was moderated by journalist Monica Maggioni.

The three co-producers of the exhibition are: Audi, Eni and the General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka.

The main sponsors of INTERNI CROSS VISION are: Audi, a leading brand in the automotive world, invests its technological edge in conscious mobility and is committed to decarbonising all production plants by next year; Eni is a global energy company present in 62 countries with more than 30,000 employees. Originally an oil & gas company, it has developed into an integrated energy company. It plays a leading role in ensuring energy security amid the energy transition. It aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by decarbonising its processes and the products it sells. Finally, last sponsor is the General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, with a preview of the model for the future Italian Pavilion for EXPO 2025 Osaka.

At Portrait Milano, on Corso Venezia 11 – Audi House of Progress

Reflaction: a combination of the words ‘reflection’ and ‘action’ forms the title of the installation designed for Audi by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. ‘Action’ is understood as action aimed at harmonious technological evolution, but also as a concrete commitment to environmental protection and building a more equitable social ecosystem. ‘Reflaction’ is an invitation to reflect on the consequences of what we do and the meaning of our very existence in the world. It is no surprise that mirrors were chosen to define two high walls that intersect symmetrically, dividing the centre of the Piazza del Quadrilatero at Portrait Milano into four areas using imposing walls (10 m x 1.2 m x 8.5 m), the same number as Audi’s rings. Almost invisible, the structure multiplies people and objects, creating different situations that invite us to the numerous activities offered during the FuoriSalone. Visitors can move around Reflaction and stop in the Performance section, where two Audi SQ6s in different shades of grey are on display for the official preview. Community, in the shade of Japanese maple trees, is the space dedicated to stimulating exchange and conviviality. Knowledge consists of a circular amphitheatre with solid wood steps and chrome-plated steel balustrades where meetings and talks are held. The Audi light technologies area shows the innovative digital lighting technologies developed by the German brand.

At the Brera Botanical Garden – Eni Space

The Brera Botanical Garden turns into Eni Space to host sunRICE, the recipe for happiness. The installation, designed by CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota for Eni in collaboration with Niko Romito, presents an experience dedicated to happiness — eating well, new discoveries and everything unusual. Visitors are led to see familiar elements of everyday life with new eyes via a simple food: rice. Starting with the plant and moving on to the ingredient and its innovative use in the kitchen, this step-by-step journey also shows how rice processing waste can become raw material for new, sustainable buildings. The installation consists of triangular modules made of geopolymer (silica-based) suitable for outdoor use. This material is generated by reusing rice milling waste (rice husks) in a zero-impact production process. In a spirit of circularity, the installation will be transformed once again at the end of the exhibition, becoming nourishment put back into the soil for cultivation.
For SunRICE, Chef Niko Romito, who has built his own distinctive vision of food and gastronomy over the years based on the circularity of creative thought, has created a biscuit whose ingredients include rice and herbaceous raw materials grown in the Brera Botanical Garden. The tasting offered to visitors will contribute to an unexpected experience and promote the core values of the initiative.
SunRICE focuses on sharing the core issues behind transformative economies, wellness and health, skills and training.

At the University of Milan, the future Italian Pavilion for EXPO 2025 Osaka

Already the focus of two meetings organised last autumn — in Bergamo for the Landscape Festival and in Bologna at Cersaie — the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka is now the star of FuoriSalone in Milan. In fact, the 1:100 scale model of the building designed by Mario Cucinella – MCA Architects is on display as part of the Cross Vision exhibition in the University of Milan auditorium. The model illustrates the founding principles of the work but also the communication agreement between the General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka and INTERNI. This partnership will result in a series of events and presentations that will accompany the public at the World Expo scheduled in Osaka, Japan from 13 April to 13 October 2025.

‘Milan Design Week celebrates “Italian know-how”, whose value is globally recognised,’ says the Italian Commissioner for Expo 2025, Ambassador Mario Vattani. ‘The FuoriSalone exhibition organised by Interni is the ideal setting to officially present the Italian Pavilion designed by Mario Cucinella’s Studio (MCA), which will host all of “Sistema Paese”. The theme of our pavilion is “Art Regenerates Life”. For us, the term “art” is understood in a broad sense and is synonymous with eclectic Italian creativity, that “thinking with your hands” that forms the basis of our success in design around the world.’

Mario Cucinella’s project focuses on people and their interactions with society, technology and sustainability. The architecture of the pavilion revisits the ideal Renaissance city in a contemporary key, with the theatre, piazza and Italian-style garden as distinctive sites of Italian urban planning. ‘Designing the Italian Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka,’ says Mario Cucinella, founder and creative director of MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, ‘is a unique opportunity to create a stage where we not only showcase our country’s culture, history and innovation, but also create a place where we can weave connections.’

Installations and designers: the leaders in INTERNI CROSS VISION

The large INTERNI exhibition-event was created to initiate and multiply connections and relationships in a virtuous system among creative figures, businesses and distribution networks who have a fundamental need to connect people and ideas from different cultures and backgrounds. In collaboration with businesses, multinational companies, start-ups and institutions, more than 44 designers have created over 40 projects (site-specific installations, displays, design islands, micro-architecture and macro-objects) to explore the theme of this year’s exhibition.

University of Milan

At the University of Milan, a series of impressive installations come to life. Oceans, mountains, paths suspended over water, stone gardens, constellations and monumental sculptures lead visitors through environments that require respect and rediscovery, inviting people to reflect on the topics of design, innovation, recovery and sustainability.

The 18th-century courtyard houses the installation SUB: Sustainable Underwater Balance, designed and created by Piero Lissoni and Sanlorenzo. Through immersion in a virtual sea, it tells of the green future of yachting, setting the silhouette of innovative hydrogen-powered boats alongside sea creatures, waves and swimmers. The work consists of an open pavilion with rectangular floor plan enclosed by a roof and wall to mark the edges. Both architectural elements are entirely covered with LED walls that recreate the lights and sounds of the marine environment, while the platform is made of a reflective material. Walking through the pavilion, visitors are enveloped by the projections for evocative immersive effect.

The Pharmacy Courtyard houses The Amazing Walk, created by Amazon in collaboration with MAD Architects. The international architecture firm chose the image of a mountain to accompany the public through the discovery of home products, furniture, lighting, smart home and technological accessories available on Amazon.it. The mountain is accessed via a path suspended over a body of water, symbolising the customers’ journey of product exploration.

The exhibition continues in the Courtyard of Honour with dozens of extraordinary installations, starting with Travelogue on Mountains by Wu Bin, a project with strong symbolic value that translates into the discovery of Oriental architecture. Made of lightweight and environmentally friendly materials produced by Yardcom, it consists of a labyrinth outlined by long sheets of DuPont^® Tyvek® positioned at regular intervals, leading to the heart of the work containing a pool of water. The work was also supported by INTERNI China.

Annabel Karim Kassar responds to the theme of INTERNI Cross Vision with her first encounter between performance and installation. In fact, Travelling incorporates a studio space where visitors can watch her paint (Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 April, from 2 to 4 p.m.). The works she produces will complete and transform the environment during the exhibition period, crossing the boundary between finished architecture and active experience. The project, by AKK Architects – Annaka, is divided into seven rooms, each representing a human activity: work, music, sexuality, meditation, art, play, cinema.

In contrast, the image of a flower, which symbolises lightness, renewal and evolution, is the leitmotif and basic module of the Stone Garden, a project by Vivian Coser promoted by Centrorochas (Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters) and ApexBrasil and organised by It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone. Involved in creating biophilic projects for more than 20 years, the Brazilian designer chose this form because it encapsulates the concept of biophilia used in architecture to give life to spaces ‘that blossom and change, just like the life of a flower’.

Internationally renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma presents StoneGrove. Using modular elements in marble and quartz agglomerates, he reinterprets the principles of Ikebana in a contemporary key and with alternative materials, creating a composition that represents the different textures and finishes of stone products made by Quarella.

Umbral, the Temple of Listening was produced by Rubner Haus based on a design by Carlo Farina, Veronica Pesenti Rossi and Memo Sánchez Cárdenas, under the guidance of the Franco Albini Foundation. The concept of the installation is the importance of co-creation. The title Umbral — ‘threshold’ in Spanish — evokes the idea of a boundary between the known and the unknown, and invites us to enter a new design culture, whose centrepieces are the Blockhaus solid wood construction system and the principles of the Albini Method. Red thread, both real and symbolic, creates the central tree representing the bond that unites us all in a single community of sharing.

Marco Piva for Saint-Gobain Italia gives life to Material Tower a rigorous hexagonal structure more than 5 metres high that houses and encloses a glass wool sculpture with soft, undefined contours, symbolising ‘a cloud of creative thoughts’. The filaments capture light and nuances from the top of the tower, which is outlined in LEDs of different colours. Of the six sides of the tower, two have tactile cladding and two are transparent, which, like suspended windows, reveal what lies within the glass volume. The remaining two consist of LED walls presenting the story of production at Saint-Gobain.

Inspired by Kiko Milano’s iconic 3D Hydra Lipgloss, which blends glossy transparencies with sensual colours and volumes, Tandem interweaves the two different design approaches of Jacopo Foggini and Massimo Iosa Ghini to recount how diversity can be transformed into harmony. Anchored to two elements with rounded corners designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini, Jacopo Foggini’s large chandelier is a cascade of transparent rods that plunge into the ‘lip’ shapes of the sofa designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini.

The large totem El Paron – Wisteria Tower by designer Patricia Urquiola for Cimento evokes a sense of movement, towering in the Courtyard of Honour and representing the intersection of nature and technology, production and the environment. El Paron — a term in Venetian dialect meaning ‘the master’, traditionally referring to the bell tower of a church, a tall structure that dominates the landscape — is a monumental sculpture composed of four overlapping modular elements that reach a height of 10 metres.

Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects for Roca, Sparking Change is a 4.5-metre-high semicircular backdrop made of 1,200 3D-printed modular ceramic elements. It recounts the evolution of the sector between tradition and industrial innovation. The concept is inspired by new developments in technology and digital tools and bears witness to the renewal behind sustainability, thus reflecting the essence of Roca.

I am what I throw away is by Italo Rota, NABA Scientific Advisor, and Claudio Larcher, NABA Design Area Leader, with the involvement of students in the Design Department of NABA Academy and AMSA – A2A Group. It uses both recycled and innovative materials to make the ethics of circular processes and the virtuous results of recycling visible and understandable.

Eighteen portals consisting of golden spheres and arranged in six rows form Mille Miroirs is a brilliant, spectacular, dreamlike landscape of regular geometries by French designer Cyril Lancelin for Fidenza Village, part of The Bicester Collection. As they walk between the structures, people move between shadows, light and reflections, plunging ‘into the heart of the artist’s imagination and losing their balance, out of time and reality’ in an enthralling atmosphere.

PATH – Dream | Dine| Delight | 37 hectares of pure wellness by Simone Micheli recalls the PATH project at Porto San Vito in Grado, which covers an area of 37 hectares. Based on a concept by Andrea Bigot, CEO of Porto San Vito, the pavilion traces the geometry and contents of Simone Micheli’s vast architectural project and accompanies people viewing it on a virtual journey through the focus and themes of the area’s redevelopment.

Sit Together – Climate Adaptive Bench by Berlin-based studio Topotek 1 in collaboration with MDT-tex and with the support of Mapei, is part of the design project for a new range of street furniture that adapts to climate change. The prototype, previewed at the INTERNI exhibition-event, is the result of a formal union between the classical European bench and wind towers in ancient Persian tradition: a welcoming bench at any time of day and in any season, where one can sit and socialise. One side is warm and darker and the other is cool and lighter, while the tower protects it from the sun.

Also in the Courtyard of Honour, Ludovica Diligu, designer and founder of Labo.Art, together with the artistic duo Plastique Fantastique (Marco Canevacci and Yena Young), brings Planetarium to life. This 9-metre-diameter inflatable structure surrounds a tree trunk and transports the public into a planetarium with constellations made of branches, leaves, stars and the voice of Pablo Trincia reciting nursery rhymes by Gianni Rodari. The De Ambrogi Gallery exhibits Marvelous Creatures, two large sculptures in recycled plastic by the artist Dario Ghibaudo, while sport and design interact, intersect, observe and talk to each other in the Powerful Intersections project by Marco Acerbis for Santini Cycling.

Marco Nereo Rotelli, with Ever in Art^® for Bertolotto, has designed a large golden portal, Door is Love, installed behind the arches of the lower portico of the Courtyard of Honour. Consisting of 46 golden gates, it symbolises entry to all the cities of the world. The threshold is understood as a real and metaphorical space, a boundary between matter and nature, which becomes a gateway, a place of passage, of waiting and meditation. There, a packaged tank displaying the word ‘LOVE’ is situated as a further message of peace.

The tour continues in the lower portico with the exhibition From a Thousand Years to the Future curated by Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita with Bizen City and Odate City. It reflects on the future of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and the topicality of crafts that have reached high levels of perfection over the years. Juxtaposing the skills and creativity of the crafts originating in the two Japanese towns, the exhibition showcases, for the first time in Italy, works with a thousand-year history.

Re-Ceramic by Tom Dixon for VitrA is an exploration into the world of recycling and an opportunity to present the Liquid line of high-strength ceramic bathroom fixtures created using an innovative process. The installation shows the stages of material transformation leading to the creation of the Liquid washbasin, the first in the world made of almost 100% recycled ceramic from waste materials recovered during the production of such fixtures.

For Caravanserraglio, Lorenzo Palmeri elaborated on the concept of ‘mingling’, designing a space conceived precisely for transit and to receive people passing through the lower portico of the Courtyard of Honour. For its construction, he chose Cosmolite^® from Stone Italiana, a material consisting of recycled minerals from the quarrying industry.

Turkish designer Julide Konukoglu then covered part of the columns of the lower portico with strips of Kutnia fabric for her installation Weaving Inside Out. She creates a contrast between the hardness of stone and the softness of this contemporary handmade fabric, which blends history, research and innovation. Other columns give life to the Quinte Mutevoli project, created by Catello Raffaele, Ornella Formati and Vincenzo Esposito in collaboration with the students of the Interior Architecture Course at the IUAD. This project immerses visitors in ‘active participation’ that allows them to customise parts of the installation, freely moving its coloured slats.

Conceived by Giulio Cappellini, The Art of Independence stems from the activities at the San Patrignano Community craft workshop. It expresses the latest developments in the work carried out there using digital tools, which allow the community’s young people to follow training useful for their professional reintegration. Covering four entrance columns of the University of Milan, it is intended to emphasise the ancient building by means of graphical signs that draw on a contemporary key to reinterpret a series of decorations found in various corners and historical buildings of the city.

The theme of wellness, taking care of oneself and reconnecting with nature, is dedicated to Metodo Benessere, the installation designed for Zentiva Italia by Emiliano Calderin, which tells the story of the iconic Schoum Solution bottle. With its harmonious scheme, the installation creates a transverse relationship between the product, its narrative, and the architecture, before returning to the city with the iconic Torre Velasca, which becomes the view, reference, inspiration and perspective of the installation itself. The itinerary, which develops organically around the columns of the cloister in the Courtyard of Honour, also houses the work by students at the University of Genoa who took part in a workshop focused on creatively reinterpreting the bottle of this well-known plant-based drug.

An example of the versatile Tile of Spain catalogue of Spanish ceramic manufacturers is presented by designers Carlos Sánchez García and Luis Navarro Jover with their House of Mirrors, an installation consisting of ceramic elements with mirrored walls that multiply the view of the tiles on display.

The West Loggia, doorways of the Grand Staircase and the Courtyard of Honour are transformed into the Brazilian design manifesto curated by Bruno Simões and organised by ApexBrasil. The project is inspired by Coccoloba gigantifolia, a plant recently discovered in the Amazon which is known for its resilience and originality. The 50 selected companies and independent design studios reflect the present, and the creations, made with different materials and techniques and inspired by Brazilian culture and landscape, hail from different regions of the country. The exhibition is accessed via the two imposing staircases on either side of the university vestibule, which will house an immersive installation evoking the importance of water and light in the process of photosynthesis. The organic design of nature is exemplified both in the set design by Estojo Arquitetura and in the pieces and their innovative, sensitive use of natural materials.

The East Loggia will shine with Arik Levy’s Path of Visions for Sans Souci. Suspended mirror elements held together by cables and jointed connections that rotate randomly continuously multiply the space, superimposing images of architecture, landscape and people. The installation continues in the Courtyard of Honour, where the faces of the sculpture Ghost interact with anotherreflective composition that, when placed on the wall, projects light and reflections prismatically.

The works will also include chandelier-sculptures: Unlocking No.3 Flavours a spiral shape (1.20 x 1.50) designed by Alessandra Baldereschi for No.3 Gin, which interprets and imagines ‘making the aroma of gin visible’ with a delicate, fairy-tale touch; and Scomposizione di un volo by Federica Marangoni which, with the support of Murano glassworker Simone Cenedese, uses a deliberately classical structure to depict crystal seagulls, whose legs also run along the central tube almost as if supporting it. The work is ‘a metaphor for the life of a city on the water, a strong aesthetic presence, symbolically uniting good and evil, air and earth’.

Finally, 100% Arabica, Uni viaggio alla scoperta tra design e sostenibilità is the design for the exhibition press rooms at the University of Milan. It is inspired by Arabica coffee plantations, and the walls are covered in wallpaper depicting coffee plants. The arrangement of the space, curated by Carlo Bach, artistic director of illycaffè in collaboration with Kartell, is intended to highlight Italian know-how in a constructive comparison with the cultures of other countries. It consists of research, innovation, and experimentation based on the universal principles of sustainability and protecting places — so much so that the furnishings are made from coffee capsule waste.

The new location: Università Cattolica

Università Cattolica, which for the first time is included in the circuit of exhibitions organised by INTERNI, hosts Sonosfera® by David Monacchi, Sherwood by Marcantonio and projections on the former Castagnaravelli barracks.

From Pesaro – Italian Capital of Culture 2024, comes Sonosfera®, resulting from the vision of its inventor, David Monacchi. This initiative embodies the union of art, technology and environmental awareness. Monacchi uses his interdisciplinary expertise in sound engineering, field research and eco-acoustic art to pay tribute to Pesaro as a UNESCO City of Music. Sonosfera^®, which has been hosted in Pesaro since its creation, will be presented in the Leone XIII Courtyard of Honour at Università Cattolica. This exhibition aims to tell the story of Pesaro and go beyond the classic concept of a temporary installation by presenting a work resulting from decades of research and concrete actions.

The Sonosfera^® experience is accessible in groups of 40 people, who will be immersed in a three-dimensional sound field created by 45 loudspeakers positioned in a spherical geometry. This sensory theatre reproduces the closest sound to reality ever made. Sound spectrograms are projected onto a 360° ultra high-definition sphere, generating a powerful visual transposition of the audio experience, overturning perceptual hierarchies. Sonosfera® fits into this epochal ecological transition as an accelerator of consciousness, where high technology paradoxically allows us to reconnect with the primordial world through profound sensory and cognitive experiences. The sounds of the Earth’s oldest and most diverse forest ecosystems are recorded in 3D and projected in every direction. Partners in the installation include CTE Square – Home of Emerging Technologies and Renco, an international company present in 20 countries and a benchmark in engineering and design. Free entrance by reservation at the following link.

Large deer animate a dreamlike universe between fantasy and reality. A presence with a strong energy dominates the space of the Benedict XV and Pio XI Cloisters at Università Cattolica, awakening emotions and immortalising the relationship between man and nature. Sherwood, a QEEBOO project designed by Marcantonio, consists of an imposing deer whose antlers branch out to become chandeliers decorated with crystals and pendants. The animal’s strong natural energy is immortalised by the designer, who imagines it moving proudly through a forest, creating magical glowing light in the night with its mighty horns, as if it were a guide to follow. Sherwood takes centre stage in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Eataly Milano Smeraldo and De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol.

For the second year running, Eataly Milano Smeraldo and De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol join in the INTERNI CROSS VISION exhibition-event circuit.

Eataly Smeraldo presents Food, Design & Happiness, a work created by Giulio Cappellini. It consists of four suspended modular panels supported by natural wood frames that form a backdrop for transparent containers holding wine, legumes, pasta and oil. Each screen is divided into modules made of rice paper. The work, which will remain on view until 6 May, fits like the wings of a stage into the entrance hall of the former Smeraldo Theatre and narrates everyday products in the store in a unique and different way.

Continuing with the H2O Help installation in the 2023 edition dedicated to the water emergency, this year Urban Up | Unipol bears witness to its commitment to environmental sustainability through a large installation focused on air. ‘The Breath of Air’, designed by Studio Azzurro, transforms De Castillia 23 into a 4,000-m² vertical sky using 13 soft, air-inflated ‘Magritte-style’ clouds of various sizes (from 7.5 m x 2.5 m to 13.5 m x 5 m). Installed on the building façade, they are lit in blue every evening starting at 8 p.m. The aim of the installation chosen by Urban Up | Unipol is to raise awareness among the broader public at Design Week 2024 of the importance of focusing on air quality improvement in urban design and in the management policies of large cities (including Milan).

The INTERNI System

The INTERNI integrated system of communication multiplies and reiterates its role as a key source of information for the world of design. Three printed publications (Interni, Interni King Size and FuoriSalone Guide), one major event (Interni CROSS VISION), two digital events (Interni King Size and the FuoriSalone Guide), Interni online (website and social media), with in-depth features and videos conveyed through a newsletter system, all provide tools so you can keep up to date in real time on trends, novelties and design previews.

Now in its 34th edition, the FuoriSalone Guide is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to discover and explore the increasingly packed calendar of Milan Design Week. 350 events involving the companies, designers and architects participating in FuoriSalone are presented briefly, organised both by day and in alphabetical order. The guide, which is available for free with the April issue of INTERNI in Milan and at all the showrooms, institutions, museums and other locations participating in FuoriSalone 2024 (as well as at the fair itself), can also be accessed online (both on tablet and smartphone) with an interactive map.

The brand’s strength is also clearly visible on the ground. In fact, a major street advertising campaign is planned for CROSS VISION with: 10 customised points of sale at the Malpensa (T1) and Linate airports and at Milan Central Station; 68 digital screens at Milan Central Station, 10 large retro media on shuttles/buses; 38 LCD monitors on the Digimupi circuit at the Cadorna, Porta Garibaldi, Domodossola, Lambrate, Rogoredo and Bovisa railway stations; 17 LCD monitors for Brian & Barry Digital Downton in Piazza San Babila; 15 digital box installations on Corso Vittorio Emanuele; 41 selected FSU digital installations (from the Clear Channel circuit) in the centre of Milan; window displays at the Mondadori Multicenter in Piazza Duomo, the Rizzoli Store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and the related Ledwall circuit in both stores; as well as 50 customised newsstands around the centre and at major transit points in the city.

For information www.internimagazine.it

Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, the benchmark brand in the entertainment world, is once again taking part in this year’s FuoriSalone by bringing a special artist.

The Sorrisi show, which will be held on Sunday 21 April in the Aula Magna of the University of Milan, as part of the INTERNI CROSS VISION exhibition-event, will feature one of Italy’s best-loved stars: Emma.

A versatile and eclectic artist, Emma, real name Emmanuela Marrone, is one of the most popular artists on the Italian music scene, and will be the guest of Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni director Aldo Vitali in an unmissable event celebrating Italian music. During the event, the singer will be honoured with the Telegatto, the prestigious award given to the most important personalities in show business.

Emma will perform for the Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni audience in a special showcase at 6 p.m. (free admission subject to availability).

INTERNI DESIGN RE-EVOLUTION confirmed and exceeded expectations at FuoriSalone 2023 that gave the design project community a great gift in terms of research, sustainability and the future.

From 17 to 26 April, the event, created and coordinated by the Mondadori Group magazine directed by Gilda Bojardi, has produced record numbers, recording an audience presence of 400,000 people in the three institutional venues: the University of Milan, Eni Space in the Botanical Garden of Brera, and the Audi House of Progress at the Portrait Milano. It’s also been a great public success in its two satellite locations:  Eataly Milano Smeraldo and De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol. In addition, more than 150,000 users viewed the first fully digital installation at the Torre Velasca.

This edition of the exhibition has translated the concept of Evolutionary Thought into experimental installations, intended as a design tool for new known and unknown territories: physical and digital, multimedia, present and future.

With the contribution of the 3 co-producers (Audi, Eni and Whirpool) and in collaboration with companies and institutions, INTERNI has gathered more than 40 famous and young Italian and international designers and architects and some artists, in a fusion between Architecture, Design and Art.  For the exhibition, 40 installations, micro-architectures and macro-objects have been created, all site-specific that – together with conferences, talks, live performances and showcases – have created a varied mosaic of styles and visions, as well as time for discussion, attracting thousands of people. Visitors included large numbers of Italian and international journalists, who provided excellent coverage for INTERNI Design Re-Evolution in the daily papers, on radio and TV, in the trade press and in popular magazines, and ensured a continuous presence for the exhibition on the main social channels and the web.

The INTERNI exhibition confirms its place as the iconic event of the FuoriSalone, created as an initiative of the magazine’s editor, Gilda Bojardi. The foundation of its success is the outstanding design and cultural content of the installations, the internationally famous brands involved, flanked by smaller operations who also offered exhibits of great interest.

The exceptional response from both the public and the media reflects the absolute leadership of INTERNI in the professional living sector and in design system communication.

We thank the co-producers Audi with Gabriele Chiave and Controvento, Eni with Italo Rota and CRA Carlo Ratti Associati, Whirlpool with Odile Decq Studio, and all the companies, designers and architects who participated: Mirage with Andrea Boschetti and Metrogramma, It’s Natural, Centrorochas and ApexBrasil with Vivian Coser, Annaka with Annabel Karim Kassar Architects, Felis with Intro and FMG Shapes with Massimo Iosa Ghini, AXA IM Alts with Ma Yansong and Andrea D’Antrassi MAD Architects, Mapei and ICA Group with One Works, ApexBrasil with Bruno Simões, Roca with Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT Architects, Landscape Festival with Topotek 1, Sanlorenzo with Piero Lissoni, Galleria De Ambrogi with Gianluigi Colin, Amazon with Stefano Boeri Interiors, Simone Micheli, DotGallina with Jacopo Foggini, Artemide with MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, Missoni with Alberto Caliri, Tile of Spain with Tomás Alonso Studio, Itelyum with Roberto Banfi/Studeo Group, Caparol, Build-Up with Silvio De Ponte Architects, Labo.Art with Ludovica Diligu, Studio Gum with Sergio Fiorentino, Besenzoni with Francesco Forcellini, Halo Edition with Mandalaki, Ever In Art with Marco Nereo Rotelli, Embassy of Italy in Madrid with Carmelo Zappulla External Reference, Levi’s with Ian Berry, Giannoni & Santoni with Gianni Lucchesi, Fidenza Village with Urbansolid, Pedrali, Zambaiti Parati, Concreta with CaberlonCaroppi, Boero with Francesca Grassi/Italo Rota Studio, Cimento with Parisotto + Formenton Architects, Atelier Biagetti, Eataly with Paola Navone/Otto Studio, Urban Up | Unipol De Castillia 23 with Maria Cristina Finucci, Hines with Elena Salmistraro.

Diodato, one of the most appreciated and award winning artists of Italian music, was awarded the Telegatto, the popular recognition of the entertainment world,  from TV Sorrisi e Canzoni.

The special showcase – presented as the final event of Design Week – took place on Sunday, April 23, in the fully packed Aula Magna Hall of the University of Studies of Milan, together with “Design Re-Evolution’s” interior decoration exhibition-event, which was open to the public since April 26.

The Telegatto was awarded to Diodato by Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni’s Director, Aldo Vitali, to celebrate the “first 10 years of its recording début: years of very successful, original and heartfelt music and for the incredibly strong emotions conveyed by the “Fai Rumore” song which turned into a ‘never give up’ motto for many.”

The singer-songwriter – with his four unreleased albums under his belt – performed in a special showcase, singing some of his most popular songs to TV Sorrisi e Canzoni’s audience, including Adesso, Fai Rumore, Che vita meravigliosa and two new songs taken from the “Così Speciale” album: Così speciale and Occhiali da sole.

Over 40 creative projects by a line-up of more than 40 designers from Italy and around the world across 6 iconic locations in Milan, which will play host to 9 days of events, meetings, and talks with leading figures in design culture and much more. These are the numbers that matter for INTERNI Design Re-Evolution, the eagerly awaited exhibition-event created by INTERNI, the Mondadori Group interiors and contemporary design magazine, and curated by Gilda Bojardi. The events take place from 17 to 26 April in the courtyards of the University of Milan, the Eni Space at the Brera Botanical Garden, and at Portrait Milano, home of the Audi House of Progress.

This year, INTERNI, a long-time champion of new spaces for creativity, is adding Eataly Milano Smeraldo, De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol and the Torre Velasca to the three “institutional” locations.

In collaboration with the City of Milan, INTERNI Design Re-Evolution is one of the main initiatives of Milan Design Week and FuoriSalone 2023, created in 1990 by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Gilda Bojardi, and universally recognised as the leading event for international design and architecture.

INTERNI Design Re-Evolution aims to offer a collective and multidisciplinary reflection on the role of evolutionary thinking as a design tool for new territories, both known and unknown, physical and digital, present and future.

“The Design Re-Evolution is a revolution, because it aims to redevelop the land, the objects that inhabit it, the materials with which they are made, and the energy used to create them”, explains Gilda Bojardi, editor-in-chief of INTERNI. “But it is also evolution, because it develops through a synergy between various disciplines – such as science, art and set design – fostering positive exchanges between individuals, businesses, institutions, and, of course, the citizens. And it is a process, in that it is a way of conceiving, producing and sharing ideas in order to reach a new configuration of the spaces in our lives. The Design Re-Evolution therefore approaches the home in the sense of a ‘mirror for the soul’, in the words of Mario Praz, encouraging the circulation of information and contacts on possible circular economy solutions. The exhibition event thus helps to build new landscapes to promote new interaction between people and environment, in a profound dialectical relationship with nature”.

But INTERNI Design Re-Evolution also explores territories that are still beyond our knowledge, from the Metaverse to the farthest universe. Because it is in this realm of creativity, where we may well feel out of our comfort zone, that the empathy inherent to design becomes a tool which strengthens imaginative power and the ability to interpret human emotion. Combined with solid professionalism and design ethics, these qualities allow us to understand, conceptualise and experience the evolution of our planet.

The three co-producers of the exhibition eventi: Audi, Eni and Whirlpool

The main sponsors of INTERNI Design Re-Evolution are three premium brands active in the field of sustainability: Audi, a leading car manufacturer with a comprehensive commitment to providing sustainable mobility, has innovation and progress in its DNA; Eni, an integrated energy company, launched a new strategy in 2020 which will allow it to reach its goal of zero net emissions by 2050 and to supply a range of totally decarbonised products, combining environmental and financial sustainability and focusing on technological leadership built over years of research and innovation; Whirlpool is a global leader in domestic appliances, thanks to its solutions with cutting-edge design created to improve the quality of domestic life. Each co-producer is presenting a high-impact installation with their own interpretation of the theme of the exhibition event.

At Portrait Milano, Corso Venezia 11 _ Audi House of Progress

Human values are central to The Domino Act, an installation representing Audi‘s vision of sustainable mobility. A circular structure of 22 monoliths encloses and protects the Audi skysphere concept car, their multiplying reflections acting as a reminder of the importance of working together. Located in the magnificent Piazza del Quadrilatero of Portrait Milano, Milan’s exclusive new hotel complex occupying the spaces of the former Seminary of the Archbishop in Corso Venezia, it was designed for Audi by Gabriele Chiave with Controvento. It brings an artistic sensibility to the principle of the Sustainability Domino Act, highlighting how decisive action in a strategic area can trigger a virtuous knock-on effect. The key presence of the Audi skysphere concept, demonstrating the perfect blend of emotion and technology with people at its centre, recognises research and progress as defining factors in the Brand’s strategy and its roadmap to decarbonisation.

At the Brera Botanical Garden – Eni Space

The Brera Botanical Garden is transformed into Eni Space, hosting Walk the talk – Energy in motion, a large interactive game. With one of Milan’s most beautiful gardens as its backdrop, the design tackles the FuoriSalone “Future Lab” theme through an intriguing giant game board all about the evolution of mobility, representing the activities and vision of Eni Sustainable Mobility. Developed by Italo Rota and CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati together with the Blob Factory Gaming Studio game designer collective, Walk the talk – Energy in motion explores themes such as the shift to more sustainable transport solutions, vehicle sharing services, and producing fuel from renewable raw materials. In so doing, it invites the public of FuoriSalone and INTERNI Design Re-Evolution to reflect on the future of our city. Each player chooses a path to follow through the installation, offering an interactive way to discover everyday actions and practical solutions for increasingly sustainable mobility. Entrances and exits punctuate the trail, which runs along the leafy pathways of the Botanical Garden, over an area of 3500 square metres with roughly 400 illustrated boxes. The boxes absorb sunlight during the day and convert it to light in the evening, creating lighting effects that change with the time of day.

At the University of Milan, Whirlpool with “The Synesthetic Swirl”

Light, colour, reflections and visual distortions abound with The Synesthetic Swirl, the spiral display in the Cortile d’Onore at the University of Milan, designed by Odile Decq for Whirlpool, the exhibition’s co-producer. Reproducing the geometry of a vortex and inspired by the archetypal image of the spiral, The Synesthetic Swirl prompts a journey and invites us to explore our sixth sense: intuition. Inside its fully immersive and engaging interior, whose exterior is just as appealing and intriguing, the installation offers the possibility of a ‘before’ or an ‘after’. The reflective effect of the mirrors creates a synesthetic vortex which can represent the dualities of an opening or an awakening, an oscillation, a step forward or backward.

Installations and designers: the key figures of Interni Design Re-Evolution

The great INTERNI exhibition event was created with the aim of initiating and multiplying connections and relationships: a virtuous system between creatives, businesses, distribution networks who have the fundamental need to connect people and ideas from different cultures and backgrounds. In collaboration with businesses, multinationals, start-ups and institutions, there are more than 40 designers who have made over 40 creative projects (installations, displays, design islands, micro-architecture and macro-objects, all site-specific) to explore the theme of this year’s exhibition.

The spaces of the University of Milan provide the setting for a series of impressive installations.

In the Cortile della Farmacia, Amazon presents The Amazing Playground: an interactive immersive space featuring Swing, an installation designed by Stefano Boeri Interiors. It takes the form of a special swing inspired by early twentieth-century Spanish Surrealism and the Circo Americano in Madrid, and offers a playful counterpoint to the abstract rhetoric around sustainability. Swing supports Parco Italia, a national urban forestation project promoted with Amazon Italia by Stefano Boeri Architetti and AlberItalia, founded to improve and implement Italy’s natural capital and its biodiversity. In addition to interacting with the installation, the public can also discover a selection of certified Climate Pledge Friendly products available on Amazon.it and displayed around the courtyard.

In the Cortile del ‘700, The Impossible Machine, a metal sculpture designed by Piero Lissoni for Sanlorenzo, combines high technology with skilled workmanship, giving physical form to the theme of sustainable yachting. It presents a large mechanism whose parts move thanks to the new hydrogen system that Sanlorenzo is developing to power its craft, in partnership with Siemens Energy. The backlit platform on which the metal installation rests highlights the mechanism’s propellers and cogs, while the fine vapour surrounding it reproduces the effect of a turbine powered by a fuel cell system.

A number of different projects have been created in the Cortile d’Onore. These include A Theatre to Save the Planet, an itinerant theatre created by Andrea Boschetti in collaboration with Ana Lazovic from Metrogramma studio with Mirage designed to promote the values of sustainability, solidarity and responsible innovation. It consists of containers recovered from the ocean, which become a place of meditation and participation, hosting events each day dedicated to the theme of sustainability (partners of the Save the Planet project).

A modern Cabinet of Curiosities, by Annabel Karim Kassar, is an interactive installation which invites the visitor to reimagine their place in the natural order and to go beyond mere viewing, exploring how architecture can change our emotional balance and the intimate human experience.

The Oasis. Microarchitecture by Massimo Iosa Ghini, enveloping and protective, demonstrates an approach to design inspired by plant organisms, resulting in a space with a beating heart which places man and nature in dialogue through natural light and materials, the movement of the air, and sensory perception.

Berlin studio Topotek 1 – in collaboration with the Landscape Festival of Bergamo – Masters of Landscape – with Grow together, Grow green / 10k+ has designed an experience to be lived and shared, a collective action divided into three concepts: deconstruction, activation and green growth. The structure, which can be dismantled and reused, acts as a pick-up point for a collection of plants that visitors are invited to take home and look after. The Nutura pavilion, by Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, built in collaboration with Roca, is made from wood and ceramic and offers a multisensory exploration of nature and Mediterranean architecture, with lattices and shutters creating shadow effects, material textures, and changing views. The pathway leads to a plaza in which to relax and enjoy the view of the Cortile: in keeping with the Re-Evolution theme and the value of sustainability, all the materials used will be disassembled, recovered and used for other projects.

The Loggiato Est hosts Discover(y) lightning by Mario Cucinella with Artemide: a bright and heartfelt tribute to Ernesto Gismondi, founder of Artemide, achieved through a series of pendant lights which cloak the Cortile del Filarete in red, shaping its spaces and framing details. The work enhances the quality of the spaces through the use of Integralis, a patented lighting technology which sanitises and inhibits the growth of bacteria on the surfaces it lights.

Also in the Cortile d’Onore, English artist Ian Berry presents The greatest story ever worn, a tribute to 150 years of the iconic Levi’s 501s; Stone Pavilion by Brazilian architect Vivian Coser showcases the country’s stone production with a focus on eco-friendly processes and materials, in collaboration with It’s Natural, Centrorochas, ApexBrasil.

Fidenza Village presents  MOAI sculptures by street artist duo Urbansolid, offering a reflection on modern times by reinterpreting ancestral history through the contemporary language of street art. Operae by Gianni Lucchesi for Giannoni&Santoni and the Hangar gallery is a stone sculpture of a life-sized seated figure overlooking the Cortile d’Onore from the top of a 13-metre totem made up of modular cubes in lightweight concrete.

Symbolising the perfection of architecture, standing on the central lawn is an enormous cube in reflective strips – Momentum – by Ma Yansong and Andrea d’Antrassi/ MAD Architects produced in collaboration with AXA IM Alts.

Lastly, two totems, one created from layers of construction materials and the other formed from a slim metal frame – Tangibile & Intangibile  – presented by One Works with  Mapei and Ica, aims to find a balance between architectural know-how, through the reuse of materials, and the discovery of new languages to express design, such as virtual reality and the Metaverse.

Temporal, the presentation organised by ApexBrasil, is two-fold: a spherical, cocoon-like installation 6 metres in diameter covered in real moss, in the Cortile d’Onore; and an exhibition of products curated by Bruno Simões, displayed along the Portico Richini and Portico San Nazaro. It represents the vitality of contemporary Brazilian design in its various forms, regions and characteristics, and reflects on production driven by sustainability and a focus on the environment and nature.

As a long-standing advocate for his ideas on architecture and design, in the Cortile dei Bagni Simone Micheli presents Free.Dom, a metaphor for time and the approaches we can take to life. Through companies, who are exploring new interpretive possibilities thanks to his work, Micheli created three large structures representing “cages” in a large mesh. Two of these house a stylised bird, while the third is empty. Next to it is the bird which has flown out. The meaning is that only those who truly wish and choose to free themselves from stereotyped patterns, from system crises, from content stalemate, from clichés and conservatism, can do so.

There are also numerous installations in the portico of the Cortile d’Onore: Seating Experiments With Spanish Tiles by Tomás Alonso Studio for Tile of Spain, Metamorphosys  by Roberto Banfi with Studeo group for Itelyum, and Farfalle by Ludovica Diligu with Labo.Art, as well as Flow by Francesco Forcellini with Besenzoni, Studio Nomade d’Artista by Sergio Fiorentino – Studio Gum, New Horizons by Mandalaki for Halo Edition, Sit on the wor(l)d by Marco Nereo Rotelli for Ever In Art and Giardino Segreto, which is the exhibition of the results of the 4th edition of the contest “Design. A journey through Italy and Spain”, curated by Carmelo Zappulla of External Reference for the Italian Embassy in Madrid.

In the Aula Magna great hall, Time After Time by Gianluigi Colin with Galleria De Ambrogi  presents an installation consisting of hundreds of metres of fabric used to clean newspaper printing presses; authentic objets trouvés, secular shrouds, loaded with the memory of endless erased stories, hanging eleven metres high. This work prompts us to question the quality of the information system, collective memory and its dissolution. A secular temple of knowledge, the University is the natural home for a project such as this because, as Aldo Colonetti says, “like architecture, design must never forget that art is the foundation of every design-related discipline”.

Material textures are the focus of Acrylic Skyline by Jacopo Foggini with Dr. Gallina, a polychrome skyline as a “tribute to Alessandro Mendini” on display along the Loggiato Ovest. The visitor is guided by the light filtering through the multiwall polycarbonate sheets in a rainbow of colours, chosen to offer an impression of fluidity. Foggini invites us to reflect on the materials of the future and prompts positive thinking on the “eternal” nature of plastic.

With L’arte del colore by Francesca Grassi of Studio Italo Rota with Boero, the Portale Hall Aula Magna becomes a modern interpretation of the rainbow, achieved using the colours of the new Boero colour system, 1831 – Il colore italiano.

The North and South doorways of the University host the installation Re-Connection: Alberto Caliri, creative director of Missoni Home Collection, offers a series of small rabbits designed to prompt our memories and reconnect us with emotions and imagination.

CaberlonCaroppi studio with Pedrali, Zambaiti Parati for Concreta explore the theme of Design Re-Evolution with Liminal, by furnishing the exhibition’s press room with unique furniture customised for the occasion, while Urban Stage by Parisotto + Formenton Architetti with Cimento offers a concrete look for outdoor relaxing with an urban feel with Outdoor Lounges.

Worth noting is that many of the installations in the exhibition were created with the idea of being reused, whether fully (such as the Amazon swing, linked to biodiversity, or the containers of Mirage, with Save the Planet), or partially, to create new settings and objects. INTERNI participates in the Urban Economy, Fashion and Design Project by the City of Milan, which transforms the exhibits of Milan Design Week into a concrete possibility of regeneration and reuse, in line with the principles of the circular economy.

New sites

The traditional institutional sites of INTERNI Design Re-Evolution are joined this year by other iconic locations in the city: Eataly Milano Smeraldo, De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol and the Torre Velasca.

At Eataly Milano Smeraldo, Paola Navone Otto Studio are celebrating Italian identity with 100% Pasta: a thorough examination of the quality of good food, from harvest and preparation to tasting. Tomatoes, pots and pans, garlic, chillies and spaghetti all made by the Viareggio Carnival Foundation hang from the ceiling in an aerial installation at Eataly Smeraldo, over the stage at the centre of the store. The stage has been decorated for the occasion in tomato red, and furnished with modern chairs and tables in red, white and green, referencing the ingredients of the quintessential Italian dish, pasta with tomato sauce. And not just any recipe, but the dish Paola Navone’s grandmother used to make for her, selecting the ingredients with care and love. The “100% Pasta” installation will be presented to the public on Thursday April 20, at 6pm, on the stage at Eataly Smeraldo, with a food performance which will see Paola Navone talk about her installation and the link between food and design, sharing the story of her “Pasta Paola”, alongside an Eataly chef who will make it for those present.

The message conveyed in the Isola district consists of just two simple yet alarming words: H2o HELP. On the lawn in front of De Castillia 23, a building redeveloped by Urban Up – Unipol and owned by the Group, an installation by Maria Cristina Finucci greets visitors with a sort of living being, 70 metres long and formed of a series of “water cushions”. Those sitting on it may not immediately realise that just a few steps away, this living being is gasping for air, showing everyone its struggle to survive. Through its agony, it attempts to communicate humanity’s distress in light of one of the most serious issues it is facing: a lack of water.

Once again, 66 years after it was built, with QR Code: Quick Re-Evolution Code, the Torre Velasca is the mouthpiece for a Re-Evolution, acting as the gateway to a virtual world offering new levels of perception to augment reality. Hines entrusted the project to the creative flair and talent of designer Elena Salmistraro. The project is an innovative digital experience which introduces an extraordinary foray into new ways of experiencing places, freeing their revolutionary communicative potential. As the name suggests, a QR code is key to the installation. Visitors use it to access a specially designed digital space, dedicated to discovering this iconic Milanese building. The QR Code will be available in the FuoriSalone Guide, on the INTERNI channels, on the website www.torrevelascaqrcode.com, as well as on 80 floor stickers positioned strategically around the city.

The Interni system

The INTERNI integrated system of communication multiplies and reiterates its role as a key source of information for the world of design. Two printed publications (INTERNI and the FuoriSalone Guide), two digital publications (INTERNI King Size and the legendary FuoriSalone Guide), one major event (INTERNI Design Re-Evolution), INTERNI online (website and social media) and Interni Design Journal – with insights and videos which will be delivered through a newsletter system – provide all the tools for keeping up to date in real time on all the latest design trends, news and previews.

Now in its 33rd edition, the FuoriSalone Guide is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to discover and explore the increasingly packed calendar of Milan Design Week, through the annotated presentation of 350 events involving the companies, designers and architects participating in FuoriSalone, organised both day by day and in alphabetical order. The guide, which is available free with the April issue of INTERNI in Milan, and in all the showrooms, institutions, museums and other locations participating in FuoriSalone 2023 (as well as at the fair itself), can be accessed online (both on tablet and smartphone), and includes an interactive map.

The strength of the brand is also clearly visible throughout the city: Design Re-Evolution involves a major street advertising campaign which includes 15 banners displayed at the main entrances to Milan and in the historic centre, 1000 flags at the locations of the events mentioned in the FuoriSalone Guide, as well as 60 digital points in the busiest areas, 10 retro shuttle buses, customised news stands in the historic centre and in airports, window displays and LED walls(Mondadori Duomo bookshop in Piazza del Duomo and Rizzoli Galleria in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele).

For all information www.internimagazine.it