Back from Italy, Azure editors have downloaded the week’s top 70 indelible images and unforgettable moments from their maxed-out iPhone cameras.
Culled from thousands of snapshots taken during six days of intensive viewing, walking, talking, dining and mingling, the top 70 highlights speak to the very best this year’s Salone del Mobile and infinite offsite circuit had to offer.
The Top 10
1. Marni chairs
The renowned fashion label launched its first collection of furniture, on display outside its downtown showroom. The brand collaborated with ex-prisoners in Colombia to create woven PVC seats. Proceeds from purchased chairs will go to Milan’s ICAM, a support program for children with imprisoned mothers.
2. FontanaArte at Casa degli Atellani
The Italian lighting manufacturer exhibited new works in a spectacular setting: a private courtyard where Leonardo da Vinci spent time while painting The Last Supper at Santa Maria della Grazie church across the street.
3. Discipline exhibition in downtown Milan
Among the dozens of items on display at this off-site event hosted by the new Italian furniture brand: a leather sofa and chair, and a table made of bamboo, all by design/architecture firm Claesson Koivisto Rune of Stockholm.
4. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at Vitra
The French designers were on hand at the Vitra booth to show off their tiny ceramic shelves, which they call Corniches.
5. Carmody Groarke at La Rinascente
The London-based architecture firm hijacked the colonnades of the department store near the Duomo and installed illuminated metal mesh cylinders.
6. Rubber place mats spotted at SaloneSatellite
Dozens of young designers have launched their careers at this popular exhibition held at the Salone. Patrizia Moroso and Rossana Orlandi are known to wander the aisles in search of new talents.
7. Solar panel garden at Interni Legacy exhibit, by architect Akihisa Hirata, who is also representing Japan at the Venice Biennale later this year. The project won the Elite Design Award for best installation at the Interni Legacy exhibit. (photo by Santi Caleca)
8. Space Quilt at Another Terra exhibition
The labour-intensive quilt by creative collaborators Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Wai (a.k.a. L+W) is made of handwoven gold mylar stripes. Seen at Ventura Lambrate.
9. Poltrona Frau Group at Zona Tortona
A magnificient and massive two-storey display showcasing new (and familiar) furniture pieces by Italian design giant Poltrona Frau and its two other iconic brands, Cappellini and Cassina.
10. World War III at Ventura Lambrate
Atelier van Lieshout‘s exhibition at Ventura Lambrate brought mixed reactions from the crowds. Some loved Joep van Lieshout’s wild and dark sense of humour; others weren’t taken in by his macabre sensibility. Most of the bronze furniture pieces were warmed up with a sheepskin throw.
