4.21.2013



I know I am bit too late with this news, but I still like to share my experiences which I had during the Salone del Mobile 2013. It seems to be one of the biggest events in Milano and I was really looking forward to participate in it. And - lucky as I was – I needed even to contribute to make it a success.

The initial objective of the Salone the Mobile (furniture fair) is that the big brands present their new furniture designs. But already for years there is an alternative event - called fuori salone – which opens the possibility for young designers to present their work. Young designers which are full of (crazy) ideas.

During the visits I made I obviously had a sharp eye for all the designs related to food. A short overview can be seen here, here and here. After a few days of strolling through the city I concluded that there were different types of food design. I will guide you through the exhibition along these themes.

First of all the return to traditional, low-impact and very simple designs. In this time of economic and climate crisis every young designer tries to go back to the roots of the profession. They redesign utensils which are there for centuries. The students from the Faculty of Design and Art in Bolzano took the apple as the objective of their design. This resulted in cutters, mashers and grandma’s tricks to add iron to your diet.

Another consequence of the crisis is the greening of products. Light weight packaging, square bottles which save space or the use of recycled materials. But also low-tech solutions for more advanced products. Like an espresso machine grown on both sides with moss. What is green about this expect from the color and the fact that ‘nature’ is included?

Then there where the people who took food as their inspiration. There was the Padiglione Italia at Ventura Lambrate where food was used literally or more conceptual to make a new product. But I was most happy to see the tablecloths made by an ADI student presented during Goodesign. The girl used a recipe (in this case the recipe for making risotto alla Milanese) and used the colorants of the ingredients to color a table cloth. Very simple idea with a beautiful result and a recipe included.

Last but not least there was the possibility to be part of different food experiences. In Lambrate there was the Diesel Foscarini Social Café Club were the visitors could have a coffee, an alcoholic drink and/or something to eat while surrounded by other visitors, some good music and the works presented. Another food experience I fortunately visited was at a very special place just out of the outer city ring. The visitors of the exhibition where welcomed by a well-dressed cameriere offering a glass of prosecco. During the visit a luxurious aperitivo was served with plates like spaghetti nero and a cheesecake all freshly made by the in-house-cook. Grazie

My suggestions for those who want to stay up-to-date on the newest furniture: simple, green and innovative. You need to decide yourself what design suits you.