Salone de Mobile 2015
Art, design and innovation make this the most fashionable design show of the year
For one week every April, the world of furniture and lighting descends into Milan where the design agenda is set for the year. During this pivotal exhibition, the city transforms into a remarkable display of visionary installations, exclusive presentations and events hosted by the industry’s most powerful players. Here, we highlight the best of Salone del Mobile 2015.
Moooi stole the show this year with its inspiring presentation. Held in a vast warehouse space in via Savona, co-founder and Art Director Marcel Wanders’ limited edition Arion rocking horse greeted buyers, journalists and design aficionados at the entrance of the Dutch design brand’s inaugural collection of carpets. The extensive debut collection was of the most anticipated of the fair. It features 48 digital and photographic carpets designed in collaboration with the likes of Ross Lovegrove, Neri & Hu and Sacha Walckhoff, Creative Director of Maison Christian Lacroix.
Wanders’ Space-Frame lamp also caught the attention of the crowds with its horizontal grid frame that features tiny lights and hangs on a hinge that allows it to move in space. Jonas Forsman, a new designer to the Moooi portfolio, showcased his foldable Shift Lounge and Dining Chairs, in which versatility and comfort have found common ground; one can see this was tailored for the modern city apartment in which space has become a luxury.
Tom Dixon’s new light, Melt, is a beautiful addition to his contemporary lighting pieces. Borne out of a series of experiments in the advanced field of vacuum metallisation, this radical design was created in collaboration with Swedish design collective FRONT. The light bouncing and reflecting around the uneven surfaces creates a molten lava effect, translucent when switched on and with a mirror-finish when off.
At Euroluce, the International Lighting Exhibition, Lasvit opened the door to the Temple of Light, where unique designs came to life through the masterful artistry of Czech glassmakers. The breathtaking glass kinetic sculpture, Supernova by Petra Krausova, was composed of clear glass elements with linear textures that created luminescent patterns, inviting viewers to look beyond the glass and into the light.
Meanwhile, Canadian lighting specialists Bocci made an impression with its remarkable lighting installations. Complex in craftsmanship, the organic compositions were a stunning visual feast that implored to be studied and scrutinised. 16 Series – Bocci’s pieces are all numbered in name – made its Salone debut to much fanfare. Formed by sequentially pouring three separate layers of molten glass on a horizontal plane, the piece was a standout and an instant Instagram hit.
London’s golden boy of design Lee Broom, created a thoughtful exhibition space entitled ‘The Department Store’, inviting visitors to take an immersive journey through a cinematic pastiche of a retail store. The showcase was the largest of the designer’s to date, with over 20 new pieces across furniture, lighting and accessories.
Knoll paid tribute to the centennial of the birth of the late Italian artist Harry Bertoia with an exhibition that explores the work of the eclectic designer featuring an installation designed by OMA, the studio co-founded by architect Rem Koolhaas. The exhibition centres a section on the design of the now iconic Diamond Chair, which Bertoia called “a real sculpture made of air and steel.”
Moroso’s recent logo restyle has inspired the Italian design firm to create a “geometric and conceptual forest” to present its newest products. The space is cornered off with closely-knit wooden slats that house a colourful array of new products from Moroso’s roster of sought-after designers. Not one to shy away from colour, the St. Mark chair by Martino Gamper is a clean, comfortable and stackable style that pays homage to Italian design. Richard Hutten’s X-Chair was also a notable piece characterised by its wooden X motif, an exposed joint that joins the oval back to the seat base.
The world of fashion made its presence clearly felt as Marni turned its showroom into a vibrant fruit market, the Marni Mercado de Paloquemao. Inspired by the Colombian market, exotic fruits in all shapes, sizes and colour formed the centrepiece of the installation, set within hand-decorated plates featuring Marni’s archive motifs.