5VIE Design Week returns in 2024 with a rich program of events and novelties, including the return to Palazzo Litta, where designers from around the world will display their work
On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2024, 5VIE celebrates its eleventh edition by bringing designers and collectible design, high-end craftsmanship, and new combinations of art and design to the heart of Milan’s historic center.
Unlimited Design Orchestra: this edition’s theme
The theme of this edition of 5VIE Design Week 2024 is Unlimited Design Orchestra, which sees musical elements, specifically from orchestras, as models to inspire a design increasingly focused on an intrinsically human and humanistic dimension. The idea of an Unlimited Design Orchestra appears aligned with the goals of uncovering in design and the universality of artistic language the space in which humans can truly meet and interact, as evident in the projects presented this year, which, along with the promotion of the blending of diverse cultures, the use of sustainable materials, and the virtuous use of new technologies, have highlighted the importance of bringing respect, tolerance, and mutual love back to the forefront, that ethic without which, as the dynamic Ulay argued, “aesthetics (without ethics) is cosmetics.”
5VIE productions
This year, 5VIE presents eight productions in collaboration with international creatives at Milan Design Week 2024.
Shadows & Poems, by ELIURPI, curated by Mr. Lawrence
Shadows & Poems will present the creations of ELIURPI, the creative duo consisting of Elisabet Urpí and Nacho Umpiérrez, belonging to the new generation of 21st century artists. The main stars will be objects and hats, as well as unique pieces focused more on art than on the product itself, characterized by a peculiar aesthetic and strong visual impact.
INDIAN TINY MEGA STORE, by Gunjan Gupta, curated by MC Didero
Gunjan Gupta stands as one of the most talented Indian designers of our time. Her whimsical and unconventional approach to design, coupled with a keen focus on her country’s ingenuity, potential, and skills is reflected in her unique collectible pieces and in her latest project, Ikkis. In Hindi, Ikkis means 21, “a number eternally significant and symbolic in matters both physical and spiritual.” The collection, consisting of elegant and finely crafted everyday objects, finds space in the INDIAN TINY MEGA STORE, which, in the artist’s intentions, represents the democratization of design, which becomes accessible to all.
On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2024, in a corner of The House of Devil, Via Cesare Correnti 14, visitors will thus be able to immerse themselves in a real Indian atmosphere, made up of engaging music and spicy flavors, iridescent colors and oriental scents. The sensation will be that of finding oneself in the streets of a country, India, in constant change, open to the world but firm in its roots. In the twenty-one artifacts selected by the artist and curator MC Didero, guests will be able to admire the high craftsmanship and grasp the meaning of Gupta’s ambitious project, inextricably linked to the number twenty-one since it originated in the 21st century, a historical moment in which sequence, modularity and symmetry influence, according to the Indian designer, the way of designing human life. A capsule collection is dedicated to Milan and the colors of Ettore Sottsass.
Salvage, by Jay Sae Jung Oh, produced by 5VIE
There is a certain interest surrounding the innovative creations of Seattle-based Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh. Oh’s journey into the design world began with concern and dismay while pursuing her MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the United States. It was there, surrounded by piles of prototypes and dormitory debris, that Oh found her inspiration: a philosophy and approach to design, develop and pursue by narrating her own life through the life of objects.
Her pieces stem from the chaotic disorder she encountered on her path, leading her to believe that, with enough effort and imagination, even waste, trash can redeem itself and turn into something not just useful but absolutely astonishing. Wrapping the objects first in burlap sacks and later in raw natural colored leather, Oh creates sculptural pieces, transforming them into monuments of today. She combines debris like a jigsaw puzzle, enclosing pieces in durable leather, shaping intricate spirals of tones and forms.
During the eleventh edition of 5VIE Design Week, the designer will unveil her latest masterpiece, a unique seat encapsulating her precise vision and artisanal craftsmanship. With an exclusive focus on natural leather, Jay Sae Jung Oh’s latest piece, produced for 5VIE, is another harmonious piece of furniture born from an unpredictable past.
Natural Selection, by Kostas Lambridis, produced by 5VIE
Kostas Lambridis will present Natural Selection, a work developed during RESIDENCY #2 ROOTED FLOWS at INResidence in Turin, Italy.
LA QUINTA VIA, a project by METAVERSO 5VIE (online)
La Quinta Via is an experiential metaverse that will offer Milan Design Week 2024’s visitors two digital paths of knowledge and in-depth exploration. The first path will be a fascinating 3D exhibition of works by designers and artists from different parts of the world who are unable to physically exhibit their pieces. The metaverse will enable them to be an active part of the 5VIE community, promoting both accessibility and inclusivity through a participatory perspective facilitated by a digital ecosystem.
On the other hand, the second path will be a true serious game: La Quinta Via, a somewhat science-fictional prophecy, will see a city (Milan) become the capital of a “Universal Union” fueled by new forms of Humanistic Energy. The treasure hunt, aimed at a lost book (Petrarch’s Secretum), will allow visitors to interact with unconventional knowledge, discovering stories and connections that have shaped both the history of the 5VIE district and Western culture. With La Quinta Via, 5VIE, a representative of social innovation trends (circular and sustainable design, proximity tourism, humanistic digitalization), is starting to proactively enter the future of WEB3.
Omi Iyọ, by Nifemi Marcus-Bello, curated by Anna Carnick
Omi Iyọ is a moving installation by Nigerian design rising star Nifemi Marcus-Bello. The work calls attention to the dangerous journeys of undocumented migrants from Africa to Europe, and serves as a poetic marker honoring the real human toll of this crisis. Formally referencing the hull of a boat, the polished, stainless steel piece acts as a mirror, offering a symbolic and literal moment of reflection for the visitors. At the beginning of the week, Omi Iyọ—which means “salt water” in Yoruba, the designer’s mother tongue—will be filled with salt, which will flow from an aperture at the bottom of the object, resulting in a pattern of salt crystals below.
PRENDETE E MANGIATE, curated by Linda Pilar Zanolla
Prendete e Mangiate, curated by Linda Pilar Zanolla, explores the concept of the table, the symbolic act of dialogue, sharing, relationships, and human connections. This edition focuses on the title of the exhibition, on the act itself, through a selection of ‘primordial’ objects, initial contact with food that becomes transformable energy for the body. The choice of artworks, created by various artists, is not guided by mere decorative canons: the objects are not inanimate; therefore, everything is unique and precious. The ambition is for an exhibition created out of a blend of ready-made objects and found objects; an exhibition that draws inspiration from a modern Dadaism. In this temporary composition, objects are combined, paired, grouped, stacked, hung, and positioned: a new concert of objects/artworks created from nothing but with a nod to the ancient or ancient materials, almost as if it were their second life.
The aim is to give each object the power to express the presence of the person who created it, thus embodying the exhibition style. Therefore, presenting the artworks by creating a relationship among them, despite being a mix of folk objects (in the truest sense of the word), art objects and crafted objects, seeking an exhibition approach for reinterpreted kitchen tools (a utensil, a plate, a glass, a tray) created with different and unusual materials.
Four fundamental elements underpin the work: object research, object, relationships between objects, and arrangement based on interactions among people. Among the artists featured are Studio Serena Cancellieri, Ron Arad, Giopato & Coombes, MA! Studio, Daria Dazzan, Marie Eklund.
UNDER THE WILLOW TREE, a project by Sara Ricciardi produced by 5VIE
The willow is a tree that provides shelter with its soft drooping branches; nostalgic and healing, beneficial in its leaning towards the ground. A significant symbol of the cycle of life, the feminine cycle, and lunar power, its branches become harmonious sound elements, hydrophones, capable of producing acoustic vibrations through small metal bells that, in the wind or as people pass by, resonate with an ancestral melody. At Palazzo Litta, an immersive installation with sinuous willow branches bringing the space to life; the branches are the result of the precious textile work of Antica Fabbrica Passamanerie Massia Vittorio 1843 in Turin and the contribution of Paolo Borghi, a music therapist and musician who is tuning the entire harmonic balance of the metal chimes of the branches. The metal contains the sound of the Universe, the energy of vibration, and guides visitors through paths of reciprocal care and relational calm.
Other unmissable events and installations
Many events and installations are scheduled for 5VIE Design Week 2024. In addition to the 8 productions at Palazzo Litta we would also like to mention the following:
My Garden – Micro Serre di Quartiere with medicinal herbs, a project by ARC Studio Perlini, curated by Michele Perlini, on Piazza Cordusio.
L’Appartamento, a project by Artemest, at Residenza Vignale, Via Enrico Toti, 2. The spaces will be curated by Elicyon, GACHOT, Rottet Studio, Studio Meshary AlNassar, Tamara Feldman Design, and VSHD Design. Each of the six studios will design a room using exclusively furniture, lighting, art, and decor created by Italian artisans and artists available on Artemest.
DESIGN PRIDE, a project by Seletti that celebrates freedom, creativity, and fun. Under the message of inclusion ‘We are design’, the public is invited to join the street parade that, as every year, starting from Piazza Castello, will cross the 5VIE district with music, performances, floats, banners, to end with a big final party.
Assopiuma presents FLYING SOFTNESS, a journey through the facets of natural feather, at The Pool Gallery, Via Santa Maria Fulcorina, 20.
THE BATHROOM IDEAS FACTORY, a project by Carroccio6 in collaboration with Fiora Bath and Myte designer radiators by Tonon Evolution, Via Carroccio, 6.
but also…
PORNO CHIC – A far l’amore comincia tu, a project by Casa Ornella, Via Conca del Naviglio, 10.
Grounded, a project by Fornace Brioni with the creative direction of Cristina Celestino, Via Santa Marta, 21. The brand will present new collections designed by Studio Snøhetta and Cristina Celestino, along with a retrospective of its most iconic products. Nice to See You – L’Uomo Stanco, a project by Gaetano Pesce, at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Piazza Pio XI, showcases around thirty works (mostly never seen before) by the renowned Italian architect, artist, and designer. The pieces have been selected not only for their functional role but also as bearers of messages that encourage thought.
La Bocca è mobile, a project by GUFRAM IN MOTION, 5VIE Headquarters – Palazzo Litta – Sala degli Specchi, Corso Magenta 24, Milan. Thanks to Motionitalia’s innovative technology, the Bocca® sofa – a radical icon designed by Studio65 in 1971 for Gufram – comes to life for the first time, declaring once again its revolutionary and unconventional spirit.
Lastly, Dermophonic, a project by Matteo Cibic, intertwining art and the flavors of coffee at Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano – Piazza Cordusio, 1.
