During Milan Design Week, be sure to pay a visit to these new Design Debuts from names and brands like Marimekko by Sabine Finkenauer, Kohler, Atelier Biagetti, and more.
Marimekko x Sabine Finkenauer
Galleria II Milione
Artist Sabine Finkenauer’s capsule collection with Marimekko is the highlight of the Finnish design brand’s featured exhibition during Milan Design Week. A pursuit of timelessness and infusing fine art into everyday objects, Finkenauer has created 16 pieces for the home (ceramic dishes, napkins, tablecloths, and more) that feature memorable geometric designs in a tastefully cheerful selection of colors like pink, green, red, and gray. Following the artist’s practice of creation using colored oil pastels and other techniques, the capsule features seven artworks that the artist created exclusively for the collection. These pieces can be found on display in an installation divulging the entire creative process (executed in partnership with Durat), along with a new series of glassware by Matti Klenell.
Courtesy of Atelier Biagetti.
Atelier Biagetti: “The King”
Atelier Biagetti
Atelier Biagetti found inspiration in Elvis Presley for its presentation “The King,” which unravels humans’ undying efforts to immortalize that which is mortal. Crafting an experience of contemporary culture that celebrates living to the fullest possibilities, the house has conceived an unforgettable living room installation. Infused with expressions of ego and nods to a generation that shares all, this domestic-space-turned stage is composed of furniture and objects like the titular modular sofa (a fantastical seating system in red velvet that has the potential to form a somewhat-circular configuration), a coffee table with Ravenna Academy of Fine Arts that nods to the form of a guitar case, the Palm Beach floor lamp by Labseventy, and more. The space will be activated with a performance by the opera singer Laura Baldassari, who will pay homage to Presley and the life of a rockstar with songs like Can’t Help Falling in Love.
Courtesy of LaLAB.
LaLAB by Lindsey Adelman: “Soft Opening”
Alcova
The lighting designer Lindsey Adelman is introducing her new experimental lighting platform LaLAB during Milan Design Week with the exhibition “Soft Opening” at Alcova. LaLAB was born as an encompassing space for Adelman’s special projects and personal explorations, which might not fall within the typical boundaries of lighting design. Iits debut presentation, “Soft Opening” will feature three new series of lighting art. Entitled Cages, Illuminated Mobiles, and Rock Lights, these playful lighting fixtures appear to be more sculpture than home décor, employing elements like mobile configurations, glittering chunks of pyrite, hand-blown glass bubbles, and a touch of whimsy.
Courtesy of Kohler.
Kohler: “The Creator’s Journey”
Palazzo del Senato
“The Creator’s Journey” is the product of home appliance brand Kohler inviting four artists to create special editions of three of its bathroom fixtures—the Numi 2.0 smart toilet, the Brazn sink, and the Brazn bathtub—as part of its 150th birthday celebrations. Presented beneath a suspended monumental sculpture by the artist Janet Echelman (titled Noli Timere), the exhibition features the brand’s bathroom collaborations with artists Ananda Nahú, Ziling Wang, Pushpa Kumari, and Elle. From Nahú, viewers will find the Brazilian artist’s vibrant murals applied to the Flora Tropical Artist Editions. The Chinese artist Wang has introduced A World on Strings Artist Editions, which utilizes her own formula of paint. Meanwhile, Kumari looks to the Indian Mithila tradition for her editions titled Aranya, while the Artist Editions of the U.S.-based Elle, entitled Falling Gently, features an artwork born of her origins in graffiti. Each piece in the collection will be offered in limited editions of 150.
Laufen interpreted by Swiss artist Monique Baumann.
Laufen: “Space Collection”
Laufen Milano
Design house Laufen is introducing the “Space Collection” during Milan Design Week. Presented at the house’s Milan showroom, hree contrasting living scenarios take form at the hand of the collaborators, studio NM3, the artist Monique Baumann, and designer Marcel Wanders. On view, Baumann’s collage techniques shine in the context of a series of freestanding sinks, toilets, and washbasins; NM3 has created new furnishings for the bathroom and beyond; and from Wanders, we’ll find an exploration in ceramics offering eclectic updates to washbasins from The New Classics line.
Courtesy of HoperAperta.
HoperAperta: “Espirit Magicien”
Fabbrica del Vapore
HoperAperta’s “Espirit Magicien” is the fifth iteration of an initiative combining art, architecture, and craftsmanship with Fabbrica del Vapore. Focused on the relationship of object/figure, the work of around 20 artists and architects (including names like Fabio Maria Alecci, Armando Bruno and Alberto Torres, Cristina Fiorenza, Odilia Prisco, and Sonia Ros) invites visitors into an environment that asks each object to pose its own utility—a quality that is determined by metaphysical connotations and the nature of its aura dimension. Concerned with an object’s ability to obtain permanence in time and collective memory, this multifaceted presentation encompasses aspects like light installation by Antonangeli, a display of puppets from Compagnia Teatro Colla, which can be found in an installation by Steve Piccolo, Martina Barberis Casagrande, and Henry Thoreau, and more.
