Science, technology and inclusiveness at the Superdesign Show 2024 in Milan, Italy

Superdesign Show, Superstudio ’s iconic event in Milan, reveals the 2024 edition scheduled for April 15-21, 2024, with new horizons and intellectual challenges. Tradition, technology, nature and inclusiveness intertwine in a global context. Involving 11 nations, 3 continents, more than 80 companies and presenting nearly 40 cutting-edge projects, it is a meeting point for designers, companies and enthusiasts with the latest trends and future visions. Milan, is preparing for Design Week with an analysis of the Milanese design system, curated by the Milan Polytechnic and supported by Salone del Mobile, with Superstudio as a pioneer. The event is directed by Gisella Borioli, with artistic direction by Giulio Cappellini and coordination by Laura Vella. “Think different!” is the subliminal imperative underpinning every design approach today, which in a world where it seems that everything has already been invented, every territory explored, every challenge ridden and won, is no simple matter. Thinking differently becomes necessary to give the right answers to the young people of Generation Z in whose hands the future lies, to nature that demands more respect, to technology that, by simplifying our lives, redefines the way we interact with the world. This year’s theme THINKING DIFFERENT - everything, everywhere, everyone is a clear invitation to stage international design in the spaces of Superstudio with new perspectives, embracing unusual areas and thinking about the diversity of users. The theme guides Giulio Cappellini in choosing a bright green for the walls of the Superdesign Show, evoking nature and serenity. Key words on the walls inspire innovative ideas, with designs that reflect human genius, unrepeatable by artificial intelligence. Superdesign Show, however, brings emphasis not only on single words, but also on a stimulating introductory question, Why Not? which the exhibition by graphic artist Daniele Cima emphasizes and amplifies.

Interest in Asian countries at the Superdesign Show steadily grows, offering a stimulating and diverse show. Tokyo presents TOKYO CREATIVE SALON, promoting its cultural identity, while Slow Hand Design Thailand by DITP celebrates Thailand’s rich culture. From China, Grado Design offers innovative furniture elements. Japanese companies with roots in tradition and research bring surprising innovations to the Superdesign Show, such as Kawashima Selkon Textiles’ 100 Types of Black, inspired by the kimono industry in Nishijin, Kyoto. Projects such as that of Tokyo Company highlight creative evolution through generational comparisons. Advanced technologies such as those offered by FORUM8 enable innovative designs, while meliordesign and the Vietnam Pavilion show commitment to sustainability with eco-friendly solutions. LEXUS focuses on the electrification of mobility. Japan Tobacco inc. invites relaxation with “humanized” pillows, while Teaste it brings the tea ritual to Superstudio Più’s Tea Room. The new dimensions of creativity reveal the inexhaustible potential of human ingenuity, which finds in technology not a limitation but an amplifier of its inventive capacity. In the three Virtual Points created by the Superstudio Digital division, visitors can enjoy a diffuse experience in a digital universe where holograms, metaverse, avatars, artificial intelligence and immersive experiences become the absolute protagonists. Superstudio’s digital soul is also behind the SURTECO project in which white spaces are transformed into vivid environments through virtual reality. Hybridization. HABITS DESIGN stages a near future in which technology has acquired an emotional and sensitive, almost human intelligence. PIXOM, in fact, finds ways to merge sustainable materials, generative design, artificial intelligence and 3D printing with robotics.

Generation Z engages in collaborative dialogue and concrete actions to address global challenges. Innovative students from Jönköping University reinvent a classic Swedish design chair, while Istituto Marangoni Milano-The School of Design presents furniture elements for a hypothetical expansion of the Cappellini brand, aimed at Gen Z “digitarians.” In a circular economy focused on energy efficiency and resource optimization, the principles of recycling and regeneration offer new perspectives. At the Superdesign Show, numerous projects embrace sustainability, The Good Plastic Company demonstrates how plastics can be regenerated to become protagonists in furniture. At Nature first, authentic natural materials celebrate the connection between humanity and nature, as highlighted by PNA-Pietra Naturale Autentica and LAPILLI with FoodDesignStories, transforming lava stone into exclusive objects. NichelcromLab interacts with nature through stainless steel mirrors that reflect the green of the forest. Eco-Materials delves into the transformation of eco-friendly materials, marking the way of the future with projects by companies committed to the field.

The home is transformed into an oasis tailored to contemporary needs and desires with the unusual atmospheres recreated by MURALS WALLCOVERINGS through their original approach. Exciting in their lightness are the geometric weaves of the carbon fiber of Karbony’s products, which give visitors a spectacle of light and shadow. CNA brings to the stage a selection of objects that open the dialogue between creativity, cultural heritage and futuristic visions of Italian craftsmanship. A Mirage-like approach that highlights the company’s dedication to excellence and environmental sustainability. A value also found in NOBI, the Tuscan company that transforms living space into a work of art. As always, art interacts with design at the Superdesign Show. Artist Rafael Lanfranco celebrates his origins with his Little Peruji, transporting Peruvian archetypes into the modernity of Pop Art. Strong ties to their roots are also strong for the ten Czech artists who bring to life the exciting installation of glass objects Designblok Cosmos presented by the Prague festival Designblok. Graphic artist Daniele Cima with his Why not? challenges the audience to dare the impossible. At the FLA FlavioLucchiniArt Museum, an exhibition of works from different periods by Flavio Lucchini presents the myriad expressive possibilities of black and white while in the permanent museum exhibition Cappellini’s most iconic objects highlight the relationship between art and design. A common feeling opens the heart and mind to people who, for one reason or another, we define as “different” only because they have different needs. Such is the case with autism. Designer Mara Bragagnolo ’s collection of children’s furniture addresses the issue of “special needs” children’s need for silence and quiet and invites the designers of the future to deal more assiduously with the needs for functionality and beauty of all “diversity.”

“’Think Diversely,’ to have an innovative vision, to breathe air of novelty, is the challenge that Superstudio’s ’Superdesign Show’ appointment sets again this year. During Design Week, Milan goes crazy and lights up with colors, noises, frenzy and creativity, which is what is expected from the center of such brilliant and original minds of Superstudio and its exhibitors. Pure avant-garde projects that project visitors directly into the future but with an eye always on traditions and history. This is what Design Week is all about: to inspire and inspire.” explains Barbara Mazzali, Lombardy Region’s Councillor for Tourism, Fashion and Territorial Marketing.

“The complexity of contemporary life is reflected in collective choices, between homologation and diversity. This year we explored the second way, inviting designers, artists, companies to a THINKING DIFFERENT in many aspects. An invitation that was taken up and embraced by almost all the participants, in their intentions, in their presentations, in the products themselves, in their momentum toward the use of the latest technologies. AND WHY NOT? is the response that underlines the theme given by the works of graphic artist Daniele Cima.” explains Gisella Borioli, creator of the project.

“Quality and internationality have always characterized the installations of Superdesign Show.” says Giulio Cappellini, Art Director of the project. “It doesn’t matter if they are proposed by big brands with acclaimed designers or by small realities with still little-known designers: the research always continues with an eye on the most interesting geographical areas for contemporary design. Superdesign Show is a kaleidoscope of bold, thoughtful and topical proposals that are good for the mind and the heart, and an agora where different thoughts are confronted.”

Science, technology and inclusiveness at the Superdesign Show 2024 in Milan, Italy

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