{"id":45662,"date":"2026-02-18T11:56:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/designdiffusion.com\/2026\/02\/18\/the-soul-of-objects-madrid-becomes-the-beating-heart-of-global-design\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:06:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:06:04","slug":"the-soul-of-objects-madrid-becomes-the-beating-heart-of-global-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/designdiffusion.com\/en\/2026\/02\/18\/the-soul-of-objects-madrid-becomes-the-beating-heart-of-global-design\/","title":{"rendered":"The Soul of Objects: Madrid Becomes the Beating Heart of Global Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the Andr\u00e9 Ricard retrospective to the new frontiers of “Forma Design Fest,” Madrid Design Festival 2026 celebrates project-led design as a tool for social progress and collective memory<\/h2>\n\n

Design is not merely form, but an ethical response to the challenges of our time. This is the premise of the 2026 edition of the Madrid Design Festival<\/strong>, a program of events transforming the Spanish capital into an open-air laboratory. Ranging from historical icons to avant-garde experimentation, the festival outlines a journey from domestic function to environmental responsibility, centering on the concept of “design in use.” <\/p>\n\n

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Andr\u00e9 Ricard: The Ethics of Function<\/h3>\n\n

The beating heart of the exhibitions at the Teatro Fern\u00e1n G\u00f3mez is the major retrospective dedicated to Andr\u00e9 Ricard<\/strong>, a pioneer of Spanish industrial design and winner of the Madrid Design Festival Award 2025<\/em>. Curated by Marina Povedano and Arnau Pascual, the exhibition \u201cDesign in Use<\/strong>\u201d is not a simple parade of objects, but an investigation into the theoretical thinking that has made Ricard an essential reference point. <\/p>\n\n