The seventh edition of the Isola Design Festival is approaching and will take place from 18 to 23 April 2023 in Milan during the Milan Design Week. The event, organized by the physical and digital design platform Isola, will take place in numerous locations within the Isola Design District and will involve over 40 exhibitions and installations, events and a series of talks that will see the participation of nearly 300 designers , international design studios, creators and manufacturers.
This year's theme, entitled "Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens“, will address the issue of regeneration, placing it at the center of the event. After an intense year of initiatives in Milan, Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven and Dubai Design Week, the Isola team wants the festival to be a support for a chain reaction towards change, which leads to rethinking, regenerating and remedying to create something of positive.
The manifesto presented by the founders of Isola clearly explains the theme and invites all members of the global design community to think beyond the concept of sustainability. Human beings have progressively exploited and consumed our planet's natural resources, leaving a huge empty footprint, and it is necessary to find new solutions to rethink production processes and systems and remedy the damage caused to our planet.
The Isola Design Festival aims to be the hub of collectible, circular, sustainable and innovative design, stimulating the creativity of all members of the design community. The goal is to make things really happen and that the hope of the new generations can be rekindled through concrete actions and not just words.
In conclusion, the Isola Design Festival represents an important occasion for the global design community to reflect on the theme of regeneration and to find innovative solutions for safeguarding our planet. Isola wants to be an inspiration to all those who believe in the power of design for change, and invites everyone to participate in this unmissable event during Milan Design Week 2023.
The exhibitions of Isola Design Festival
Isola, the Milanese neighborhood that embraces contemporary art, is ready to welcome seven exhibitions curated by Isola's creative team, led by head scouter and curator Juan Torres, and other guest curators.
Circular – The Circular Village is hosted in the scenic covered square of the Lombardy Region, in a space designed by the MAST Studio of Amsterdam in collaboration with Fiction Factory, Interface and The Good Plastic Company. The exhibition's zero waste setup showcases raw materials, biomaterials and products made with natural resources or industrial waste, which follow a circular approach to design. Participating designers and design studios include names such as AAMA Design, Frank Chou Design Studio and ZANELLOG Studio.
Tools & Crafts at the Riccardo Catella Foundation is the second exhibition and presents young talents and a new generation of craftsmen who combine traditional skills with experimental techniques to create contemporary and collectible design pieces. The projects involved will show how design can preserve tradition, honor new and ancient techniques and promote innovation. Participating designers and design studios include names such as Alice Crepaldi, Caspar Fischer and Joana Moura Ceramics.
Take Care! Of your mind, body, and environment is hosted at Stecca3, curated by the multidisciplinary design studio Tellurico. This immersive exhibition showcases projects that focus on contemporary issues that affect both the social and personal spheres, such as inequitable access to food resources, the rapid deterioration of the environment and excessive waste generation. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness of these aspects, raising crucial questions and promoting conceptual and practical solutions. The space is enriched by the modern fragrances and exuberant color tones of Millefiori® Milano and Yankee Candle®.
Island Design Gallery, held in via Pastrengo 14, celebrates unique and handcrafted products, collectible design objects, customizable pieces and contemporary products inspired by everyday life. The exhibition presents a selection of projects by Dutch talent and established design studios, The Dutch Corner, curated by Wisse Trooster and supported by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Milan. The scenographic space, inspired by metaphysics and the work of Giorgio De Chirico, was created in collaboration between the creative director of Isola, Elif Resitoglu, and Stephanie Blanchard, co-founder of the IAMMI studio.
Under Design Lebanon, hosted by the VIAFARINI association in via Farini 35, exhibits a realistic mapping and a projection on the organizations currently still functioning in Lebanon in a moment of social, political and economic crisis. The exhibition pushes to abandon the aspect of design as a commodity dissociated from local and global contexts and responsibilities in order to save what is important. The mapping will be presented on a 3D printed recycled plastic framework, designed and manufactured by Post Industrial Crafts.
Rising Talents, hosted in Via Confalonieri 21, presents a selection of five young alumni of the Design Academy of Eindhoven. Emerging designers present works with peculiar techniques, combining physical and digital materials, through sculptures, furnishings and moving images.
Innovation for Living, held in the Certosa District, is an exhibition dedicated to technology applied to design and promotes projects that investigate the integration of advanced technologies in furniture and architecture. The exhibition is hosted in an industrial space of 3.000 square meters and is curated in collaboration with Designtech and DesignWanted.
These exhibitions offer a complete overview of the world of design, from sustainability to technological innovation, from the discovery of young talents to art and metaphysics. Thanks to the different exhibitions, you have the opportunity to discover new talents, materials and approaches to design, opening your mind to new perspectives and innovative ideas. Isola, therefore, confirms itself as a creative and avant-garde neighborhood, always looking for new stimuli and ideas for the future.
Temporary exhibitions and installations
Among the many exhibitions present in the Design District, one of the most interesting is undoubtedly that of Belgian Pavilion, curated by designers Joris Verstrepen and Timon Mattelaer, in Via Cola Montano 13. This exhibition showcases the essence of Belgian design, which is inspired by nature, raw materials and sustainability.
Another exhibition not to be missed is Belonging: A Modern Fairytale of Social Label, in via Pastrengo 12, which brings the products that are part of their design collection to Milan. The founders of Social Label, Petra Janssen (studio Boot) and Simone Kramer (C-mone), create products and promote customized activities through “design by doing” to help marginalized people enter the job market.
The collection KeepLife bestiary, at ZonaK, presents a collection of 16 wooden animals, which are both a game and an animal-shaped desk product, made in KeepLife, a new wood-based composite material generated using the shells of dried fruit with the addition of a binder free from harmful substances, fillers, solvents and formaldehyde. Among the designers involved are Matali Crasset, Marialaura Irvine, Marta Laudani, Giulio Iacchetti, Matteo Ragni, Studio Algoritmo, Luigi Petrillo, Ilaria Spagnuolo and Pietro Petrillo.
The exposure Designed in Montenegro by DAA Montenegro, at Key Gallery, revolves around design, sustainability and social responsibility as epithets that generate new products, materials and technologies, destined to change the course of our future.
The exhibition Freed Curators Club by software startup Lyla Design and 3D printer maker Ginger Additive, at Via Confalonieri 11, envisions the future of designing and manufacturing custom interior products. The interactive exhibition features designs by emerging artists, such as Lucas Zito, Mark Ballint, Ori Orisun, and Tetti, which can be customized by visitors through the intuitive Lyla Design software and 3D printed on site using Ginger Additive's cutting-edge technology .
Human mycorrhizae, curated by the startup Terracquea, in Viale Lunigiana 10A, presents a design collection made with mycelium, works that combine nature and culture, padding made of flowers, paper and leather made from mushrooms, pesticide-free fabrics and fibers created from wild plants .
Module of LEFORME Atelier at Café Gorille will present a series of contemporary modular lamps, structured in a fluid and customizable way, made without the use of glue. Similarly, in Via Pastrengo 7, the Japanese collective exhibition New Normal, New Standard will be hosted, which presents "common" products capable of improving the environment and promoting communication between people, adopting adequate countermeasures against Covid-19. XNUMX.
Pit Stop – Manual & Material Culture, at Pepe Nymi, is a temporary exhibition space supported by the DESIGN Foundation and managed by the Manual & Material Culture curriculum. The exhibition presents everyday objects and prototypes of finishing elements for interiors linked to the formal research conducted in the Academy's Master courses. The space includes innovative techniques, natural and artificial materials, digital technologies, game design and lighting design by the NEEO studio, an intervention by Leonardo Caffo and the partner companies Upgroup, Forma&Cemento, Vsk, KeepLife, United Pets.
Subcase by Paolo Marasi, in collaboration with IWG and hosted by Spaces Isola, celebrates the rave in a critical and ironic way. Sottocassa shows how to recreate the scenario and atmosphere of the rave at home, through a system of interconnected panels that allow you to create containing, display or reflective modules inspired by sound systems (walls of amplifiers and loudspeakers).
The Art of Possibility by Portugal Ceramics, at ZonaK, is an exhibition of innovative and authentic Portuguese ceramic pieces that blend heritage, culture and imagination. Pieces that emphasize simplicity, emotion and creativity, that bring together design and contemporary art, heritage and technology: dichotomies that are at the heart of the Portuguese ability to create unique, distinctive and well-made objects.
VARIETY! – Design experiments between academia and industry of the Quasar Institute for Advanced Design Rome, at Zetalab, presents everyday objects and prototypes of finishing elements for interiors linked to the formal research conducted in the Academy's Master courses. The space includes innovative techniques, natural and artificial materials, digital technologies, game design and lighting design by the NEEO studio, an intervention by Leonardo Caffo and the partner companies Upgroup, Forma&Cemento, Vsk, KeepLife, United Pets.
Furthermore, three temporary installations will be created in the green spaces between Stecca3 and the Riccardo Catella Foundation: Post Industrial Crafts, a design brand that combines craftsmanship and digital fabrication, has designed a geodesic capsule 3D printed from recycled polycarbonate and three new seating collections for public areas. Immerso Apiterapia will welcome visitors to enter its form Be(e) Immersed, designed by FVAA to develop an intimate space to offer users an experience of well-being and relaxation surrounded by nature. In parallel, it houses 8 bee hives. Next to the BRIChECO carpentry the public will be able to discover The Solar Kitchen equipped with three appliances for cooking food using solar energy such as solar ovens. The project is a re-adaptation of Open Kitchen by designer Antonio Scarponi exhibited with Claudia Zanfi at the Garibaldi station.
In the neighborhood
The Porta Nuova district in Milan is an unmissable destination for those who love contemporary art and design. In this district, in fact, there are numerous art galleries and design studios that host exhibitions and innovative projects.
One of the places not to be missed is Bota Fogo Ceramica, located in Via Farini 36. Here, four Italian artists – Clara Holt, Francesca Gastone, Lavinia Fagiuoli and Sonia Diab – collaborated with ceramist Isabella Secchi to reinterpret the shapes and colors of a South American clay fountain. This home fountain is equipped with an ecological filter, also made of ceramic, which allows you to purify the water.
Another place to visit is BUROMILAN, at the Fonderia Napoleonica Eugenia in Via Genova Thaon di Revel 21. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its foundation, Milan Ingegneria changes its name to BUROMILAN and presents for the first time its work of creativity, competence and innovation alongside the most daring architects of the world.
ErnestoShop, in Via Antonio Pollaiuolo 3, is a shop dedicated to contemporary Italian craftsmanship. Here you can find handcrafted products by young and talented designers in a chameleonic space that hosts some of the best artisans and makers in Italy.
Ferruccio Ascari Studio, in Via Federico Confalonieri 36, presents the work "The Talking Chair", conceived by Ferruccio Ascari himself with the intention of stimulating reflection on the disturbing conditions of our Planet.
At the Galleria Angelo della Pergola 1, in Via Angelo della Pergola 1, it is possible to admire Material View by Myriam Kuehne Rauner, an exhibition of sculptural design pieces with a focus on lines and openings which aim to create a dialogue between material, form and environment.
Green island, in the atrium of Garibaldi Station, presents the Kiosk installation by Antonio Scarponi, a pop-up, mobile, light and multipurpose kiosk-kitchen in certified wood, which will host public activities such as readings of unpublished recipes, aromatic music shows and performances olfactory.
IsolaDesignStudio, in Via Farini 57, opens the doors of TheBotanicaLoft, a project born in 2019 as a multifunctional space designed and built on site to be a home, studio, venue for events and photo shoots. The studio deals with residential and commercial design, as well as producing custom-made furniture and custom-made furniture and design pieces.
Moon Rabbit Design Studio, located in Via Jacopo dal Verme 17b. This studio proposes a new computational design experience through its exhibition “The Rabbit Hole”. The gallery is divided into three stands, each with different examples demonstrating how cutting-edge technology is changing the world of design. Furthermore, the installation of parametric gardens shows how it is possible to create a comfortable and adaptable outdoor space.
RivaViva, in Via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi 18. This gallery houses the Grupa lamps, produced in Croatia by the award-winning studio of Filip Despot, Ivana Pavic and Tihana Taraba. Each lamp is assembled by hand with great craftsmanship and combines minimalism, functionality and the ability to "design light" by playing with the way it occupies space and influences mood.
Spencer & Lewis, in Via Borsieri 41, which presents The House of Experience, an experiential space. Using virtual and augmented reality viewers, visitors can transcend the limits of physical space and enter a boundless dimension, experiencing a journey into the world of experiential design.
In addition to the numerous initiatives foreseen, there are two lounge areas where visitors can sit back and relax. La Slide has decided to disseminate the outdoor spaces of Stecca3 with its ironic Kroko chairs, designed by Marcantonio, while the cardboard and birch armchairs by Sekkei Design will be installed in Piazza Città di Lombardia.
Digital Innovation Days will bring its initiative DIDAYSTalks – Design Week Edition at Isola Design Festival 2023, with a series of talks dedicated to sustainable and innovative design. The Milanese brand, with the contribution of the Lombardy Region and the support of BRITA, will explore how design can have a positive impact on various economic sectors, such as communication, infrastructure and food, with a more sustainable approach. DIDAYSTalks partners include ONIM and Realize Networks. The main spaces of the event will be the Riccardo Catella Foundation and the Lombardy Region.
Island Design Awards
There will also be awards for designers: the open call for the third edition of the Isola Design Awards will start on 14 April 2023, a digital competition that aims to inspire and empower designers to explore new horizons and push the boundaries of their profession. This year's awards are divided into 10 categories: Furniture, Seating, Lighting, Tableware, Textile, Product, Material, Sustainability, Outdoor and Innovation. Among the prizes, a trophy designed by the multidisciplinary design studio Tellurico, free participation in the Milan Design Week 2024 and a cash prize. Isola Design Awards 2023 is a unique opportunity for designers to emerge and make their creations known internationally.
What is Isola
Isola is a unique physical and digital platform that connects independent designers and design studios with industry professionals, companies, curators, journalists and potential clients. Isola's curatorial team selects projects with a focus on sustainability, innovation and craftsmanship.
Furthermore, Isola organizes numerous events, including the Isola Design Festival, which takes place during Milan Design Week, the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven and, more recently, the Downtown Design in Dubai. The festival features over 40 exhibitions and installations, events and talks involving almost 300 international designers, design studios, creators and producers. The event entitled "Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens" to be held during Milan Design Week 2023 explores the theme of regeneration, making it the heart of its next edition.
Founded in Milan in 2017, Isola Design District has immediately become one of the main areas of the Milan design week, with particular attention to international and emerging designers. Since 2019, Isola Design District has been participating in the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, becoming the first Italian design district to be involved in an event abroad. In 2022, Isola Design District has extended its reach even further, bringing a selection of designers to the UAE for Downtown Design, part of Dubai Design Week.
Isola offers creatives from all over the world an open community, with the possibility of having profiles and dedicated virtual showcases, through its digital platform launched in 2021 with more than 850 designers from over 65 countries and 1.400 published projects. The digital platform aims to stimulate interactions, dialogue and knowledge sharing within its community.
Additionally, in 2023, Isola will launch its Marketplace, where every verified designer and creative studio will have the ability to sell physical products, digital assets, and NFTs. Isola represents a unique opportunity for designers and independent design studios, offering them visibility and valuable connections with the world of design, as well as a space to showcase their creativity and innovative ideas. Isola is the perfect platform for those looking for a way to grow their business and reach new levels of success.
INFO
DATE 18 — 23 April 2023
OPENING HOURS 11: 00 - 19: 00
LOCATIONS Island Design District
