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Thinking Different, the theme of Superdesign Show 2024, is, in the words of Gisella Borioli, CEO of Superstudio Group, “an invitation to bring beauty and design, in the broadest sense, to everyone, bar no one”. Borioli is the creator of the Superdesign Show project, a long-running event held as part of Milano Design Week that’s become an icon of the Tortona Design District. This year’s Superdesign Show is scheduled for April 16–21 in Superstudio Più, at Via Tortona 27.
The theme of the 43rd Superdesign Show is “Thinking Different – Everything, Everywhere, Everyone,” with artistic direction again entrusted to Giulio Cappellini. The event will see the participation of eleven nations from three continents, representing over 80 companies with almost 40 projects on display.
Superdesign Show 2024 will take visitors on an exploration of new horizons and challenge them to think differently, as Gisella Borioli explains.
The theme of this year’s Superdesign Show is Thinking Different – Everything, Everywhere, Everyone. What does it mean to think outside the box in today’s world?
The world is changing. Actually, it’s already changed. This year’s theme is an invitation to every generation of creative professional to connect with new realities, new desires, new risks, new technologies, new needs, a new society, and the young people who already live in this reality. It’s an invitation to move away from comfort zones, conformism, and even mental habits, and broaden your vision to enter the fourth dimension.
Superdesign Show focuses on the bravest ideas and the most interesting locations around the world in contemporary design. What are the most important innovations that visitors will see this year?
The Asian section. For years, we’ve focused on the Far East and its rich traditions and innovations, fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. It’s both an ancient and a new world that can teach us a lot. Besides Japan, China, and Thailand, for the first time we’re hosting Vietnam, an intriguing developing country.
Then there will be all the tangible and intangible expressions of contemporary and trending objects, materials, and furnishings, which bring together information and emotions. There are many cultural crossovers between art and design: say, Lexus, with its interactive installation designed by Maria van Aubel, whose won many awards at Miami Design Week, and Hideki Yoshimoto’s installation, which examines mobility, including through the use of music. Then there’s the intriguing forest reflected and multiplied in the steel of Nichelcrome Lab, by sculptor Michele D’Agostino, and Designblock Cosmos’ celebration of glass with works by ten Czech designers combined in an engaging audiovisual spectacle.
And visitors mustn’t miss out on this year’s contribution from FLA, the FlavioLucchiniArt Museum, which, in its expanded 2000 m2 space, is not only hosting works by Lucchini, but also a selection of iconic pieces by Cappellini and an installation by young sculptor Sebastiano Pelli. These are just a few of the highlights.
Where did the unprecedented choice of bright green as the background color for the event come from?
It was about us wanting to embrace the idea of thinking differently right from the exhibit design stage and therefore create a strong message. It was about breaking away from the white-black-grey – or whatever – color schemes that clients tend to choose. I set the challenge, and Giulio Cappellini came up with the idea of bright green.
Among the stars of this year’s show are members of Generation Z. What are the key features of the work produced by these artists and designers born at the turn of the new century? What messages do they have?
There are also the talented students from Istituto Marangoni Milano and Jönköping University in Sweden, who will be exhibiting some of their visionary projects. I’d especially like to highlight Nook by Mara Bragagnolo. Mara is a young interior designer from Turin who specializes in therapeutic, inclusive, accessible design projects. She’s exhibited furniture designed for autistic children at a time when autism rates are increasing.
So, to answer your question, designing with simplicity, being aware of diversity, reflecting on the beauty of simplicity, and evaluating the final cost as a priority all seem to represent this face of contemporary creativity and a positive contribution from the latest generation.
The event will open with Daniele Cima’s exhibit Why Not?, with the question written in different languages and illustrated through different graphic artworks. What is the meaning of this question?
The Why Not? exhibit by graphic artist Daniele Cima is a surprising response to our question Thinking Different, expressed in different world languages. It consists of large totem displays that translate this challenge – this invitation to courage, freedom, transgression, as well as peace – into 42 languages from the five continents. It does it with powerful graphic interpretations – each very different from the next – that use fonts typical of each country. Even the purpose of the works is surprising, since they’re not for sale but temporary rental, so as to bring their message to as many people as possible.
Among the key themes that Superdesign Show, as well as Milano Design Week as a whole, are focusing on this year is artificial intelligence. What opportunities and risks does this powerful technology bring to the design and art worlds?
Artificial intelligence has been popular for just over a year, and we already can’t do without it. It helps us do a thousand things. It’s here among us, even if we’re not always aware of it. I don’t think we need to be scared of it: providing we act with our human intelligence to make the best of it and remedy its limitations, it will benefit us.
Artificial intelligence is on display in many situations at Superdesign Show. A distillation of direct experiences with the immaterial future is the idea behind Japanese firm FORUM8’s exhibit, which will immerse visitors in both real and imaginary cities of the metaverse, where they can try simulators and wearable devices, discover the latest virtual and augmented reality software, and experience self-drive cars using the most advanced technologies.
In our own Virtual Points, Superstudio has created scenographic holograms, information touchscreens, and augmented reality where you can interact with avatars, all of it produced by our SuperDigital department. This all demonstrates how AI is now (almost) normal. The real world grows bigger when it meets its virtual double.
>>> Discover more about Fuorisalone 2024 and the 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano
All images courtesy of Superstudio Group
