Independent design curator and author Maria Cristina Didero, who was appointed Curatorial Director for Design Miami/ in 2022, is letting Whitewall in on her dynamic Milan endeavors and ardent favorites during a pivotal week for the global design industry. From unveiling a luminous project with Atelier Biagetti for MCM, to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Campana Studio with a vibrant film, and dining at the classics in between, Didero embraces every transformative moment.
Portrait of Maria Cristina Didero by Stefano Ferroni.
WHITEWALL: Can you tell us about the projects you’ve curated for Milan Design Week?
MARIA CRISTINA DIDERO: This is going to be a very exciting Salone, even if very much compressed. I’m happy to present in “my little space” at the Devil House, in 5 Vie, in Via Cesare Correnti 14, a project about India. Indian Tiny Mega Store aims to be a typical Indian supermarket but a tiny one. Gunjan Gupta is famous for her limited edition pieces and this time we will present her democratization of design, a beautiful tableware collection for everyday use.
I’m also looking forward to presenting the second edition of Future Impact 2, co-curated with Tony Chambers; it is about Singapore’s new scene of design and will take place in an extraordinary venue, the Rotonda del Pellegrini, right behind the Duomo. Speaking about interesting venues, we will present a project with Atelier Biagetti for MCM titled Wearable Casa in the heart of Brera district, in the beautiful rooms of Palazzo Cusani. Last but not least, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Campana Studio, we will premiere a new film that was made together with Francesca Molteni at the Triennale theater on the 18th of April.
WW: As a curator, of what importance is Milan Design Week for you?
MCD: For all design experts Milan is a crucial appointment in the year calendar. We joke to say that it is the holy week of design but actually it is. The city transforms itself and events are all over the place. There is a nice buzz in town even if this year it will last just a few days, unfortunately. The overlapping with the Venice Biennale is a real disgrace as a lot of foreigners will leave for Venice a few days after Salone has started…
“For all design experts Milan is a crucial appointment in the year’s calendar,” — Maria Cristina Didero
WW: Outside of your projects, what are the exhibitions and collections you’re looking forward to seeing?
MCD: It is always frustrating as when “you work” during Salone you really manage to see half of what you intend to…and then you need to look at pictures afterwards and say “oh, I was so close, and I missed it!” Anyway, I will try my best and visit Palazzo Litta for the project by my dear Japanese WE+, Capsule Plaza, then I will check the Valextra installation in Via Manzoni store by Studio Temp, Salone Satellite exhibition at the Triennale and Lexus project by Hideki Yoshimoto. I want to go and see the Luisa Delle Piane Gallery and Gaetano Pesce solo show at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. But I’m not sure if I will actually manage to do all this.
WW: What are some design trends you have your eye on this Milan Design Week?
MCD: I’m not so good with trends, I do not actually follow trends, but I see that there is a will to do things together. A lot of people started collective projects and I really like this.
WW: Who are the designers whose works you are excited to see?
MCD: I’ve been working for a while on an exciting project in Japan that will see the light at the end of May in Tokyo, at the Kudan House; so I will visit the exhibition on Japan by Kenya Hara at ADI Museo.
Where to Dine in Milan, According to Maria Cristina Didero
WW: Do you have any favorite Milan restaurants for design week? Any favorite orders?
MCD: Sure! Usually, I order the dish of the day as it always changes, and I do not like so many routines in my life. This is my list of places, the classics: Al Santa Lucia Restaurant, Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, and Al Matarel. Also, for fine dining or famous chefs, I recommend Spazio Niko Romito Milano or Voce Aimo e Nadia.
Maria Cristina Didero’s Milan Favorites
1. Indian Tiny Mega Store, by Gunjan Gupta
“Indian Tiny Mega Store” by Gunjan Gupta, © Tantra zoomed, published by Fuorisalone.it.
Curated by Maria Cristina Didero, the solo show by one of the most important Indian designers brings a typical supermarket from her country to the heart of the 5VIE. Gunjan Gupta stands as one of the most relevant and talented Indian designers of our time. Her whimsical and unconventional creative approach to design, coupled with a keen focus on her country’s ingenuity, potential, and skills is reflected in her unique collectible pieces, but also in her latest venture called Ikkis – a beautifully crafted collection of everyday objects. – Source
2. Future Impact 2, co-curated with Tony Chambers
Left to right: Designs by Christian+Jade, David Lee and Gabriel Tan for Future Impact 2; Photos by Faezah Shaharuddin/STUDIO KALLANG, I Am Not David Lee, and Gabriel Tan Studio.; published by Design Singapore Council.
DesignSingapore Council returns to Milan Design Week with Future Impact 2 at the historic La Rotonda del Pellegrini from 16 – 21 April 2024. Curated by Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero, the showcase will reveal a suite of newly commissioned works by seven of Singapore’s most innovative designers, demonstrating the evolving and transformative power of design for a more sustainable future. In an era defined by technology and sustainability, the curators worked with the designers to present positive and impactful design solutions for a better tomorrow. The designers have either integrated a different technology or pushed the boundaries of production to develop a series of works that minimize environmental impact, reconsider current production methods, and enhance functionality. — Source
3. Gaetano Pesce at Biblioteca Ambrosiana, in “Nice to See You”
“Nice To See You” by Gaetano Pesce; published by Biblioteca Ambrosiana.
From 19 to 23 April, on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile, the Ambrosiana will host the exhibition “Nice To See You” by Gaetano Pesce. Thirty works by the recently deceased architect, artist and designer will be exhibited in the Sala Accademie and in the atrium of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. They were all created between 2023 and 2024, personally selected by the artist not only for their functional role, intrinsic to the word ‘design’, but also as bearers of messages.“The design of the various art directors that have no reason to exist and lead Italian industries to repeat themselves without creativity. This is not the design I am interested in,” Pesce said. “What we want to convey is rich in meaning, not only does form follow function, but it has a third, very important element, namely meaning, which can make people think on a political, socio-economic, religious, philosophical, behavioral and personal level.” — Source
4. “ORIGIN of SIMPLICITY. 20 Visions of Japanese Design,” at ADI Design Museum
“ORIGIN of SIMPLICITY. 20 Visions of Japanese Design,” published by ADI Design Museum.
The exhibition is a brand new piece of research conceived by curator Rossella Menegazzo, a researcher into the history of Japanese art and culture from the University of Milan, together with graphic and exhibition design by Japanese designer and curator Kenya Hara, who conceived the exhibition itinerary as a forest through which to walk. Each tree group gathers together objects with the same quality, original combinations of works by different designers and artisans, through which the theme of simplicity is expressed with key words aiming at reflecting the nature of the objects and leading the visitor through the exhibition experience. — Source
5. A Classic Dinner at Al Matarel
Published by Al Matarel, Milan.
Al Matarel is one of the last bulwarks of Milanese cuisine in Milan; it opened its doors in 1962 thanks to the passion of Mrs. Elide and the good Marco, a couple of restaurateurs indissoluble in work and in life. The place is frequented over the years by artists, journalists, politicians and prominent personalities in a Milan that is experiencing its greatest expansion and growth. In the 80s it was home to Bettino Craxi’s famous “Monday lunches”; some claim that on the tables of the Matarel, between an Oss Buss and a bottle of Croatian, much of the Italian politics of that period was consumed. — Source
6. Fine Dining at Voce Aimo e Nadia
Published by Voce Aimo e Nadia, Milan.
In the beating heart of Milan, inside the architectural complex where the Museum of the Galleries of Italy is located, VOCE Aimo and Nadia is born. A space-threshold, a fluid place where Art, Culture and Food meet to merge, giving life to different experiences within what can be called the Salon of excellence of Milan and the Milanese. A new reference point of the Milanese gastronomic culture articulated in four different environments: the Cafeteria, the Artisanal Ice Cream, the Pantry and the Gourmet Restaurant. — Source
