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Inspiration Innovation Imagination is the theme of this year’s Superdesign Show, which will be held at Superstudio Più in Milan’s Tortona District from April 18 through 23. Created by Superstudio and with creative direction by Giulio Cappellini, Superdesign Show takes place as a part of Fuorisalone during Milano Design Week. Featuring installations, art dialogues, virtual experiences, as well as sessions to discuss innovative and traditional materials, the latest furnishings, sustainability, artisan design, and much more, the event is a “cultural mosaic,” as Cappellini describes it, that embraces many different sectors and sees the participation of major international brands. This year’s Superdesign Show will feature over 40 exhibitors and a format that will focus on research, freedom of choice, and crosspollination between the classic and avant-garde. To quote Gisella Borioli, who cofounded Superstudio with her husband, Flavio Lucchini, the event is intended to be “less of a tradeshow than a museum of the contemporary.”
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The theme of Superdesign Show 2023 refers to an all-encompassing vision of design that’s guided by these three qualities. The installations set up by Superstudio will feature a selection of new international products and prompt us to question ourselves about the functions of the world of tomorrow.
Among the numerous events within the event, Materially will return to continue its examination of eco-sustainable and recycled materials from circular economy, with this year’s event entitled Wonder Matter(s) and focused on the concept of wonder. Likewise, the concept of surprise is the thread running through the Unexpected Object section, which features objects, furnishings, and accessories with new functions that are original, eclectic, and express a new aesthetic. Also making a return is Asian R-evolution, a section that for years has hosted important companies from Asia, offering Europeans a chance to keep up with what’s happening on the other side of the world. Then there’s the group event Stars of Today, curated by Giulio Cappellini, which will feature ten new talents: Leonardo Talarico, Elena Salmistraro, Francesca Lanzavecchia, Ilaria Marelli, Matteo Agati, Sergio Prieto, Daniel Nikolovski, Francesco Forcellini, Antonio Facco, and Keiji Takeuchi. A new addition for 2023 is Virtual Pavilion, the first virtual Superdesign Show, which will investigate the various possibilities of pairing tradeshows, exhibitions, and conventions with immersive online experiences.
Today, in the face of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and the metaverse, what does the future hold for design and what direction is its image taking? How will architecture, homes, cities, functions, and services change? The installations created by the various companies participating in Superdesign Show 2023 will all revolve around these extremely topical questions.
Samsung, for example, will take visitors inside a smart home in a large interactive space dedicated to domestic appliances. Lexus is presenting Shaped by Air, a project by Suchi Reddy inspired by, and dedicated to, its car of the future, the Lexus Electrified Sport coupé. PNA – Pietra Naturale Autentica will be helping attendees discover Italian marble through images projected onto the ledwalls of an emotions cube, while Dante Benini will be transforming switches from the TECNOLITE per Meljac range into small golden sculptures that combine a modern and retro feel.
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Superstudio first opened its doors in Via Forcella, Milan, 40 years ago, creating a hub dedicated to the world of fashion, with photography studios and laboratories. Founded by publisher and art director Flavio Lucchini and his wife, journalist and director of women’s magazines Gisella Borioli, it was named after the group of avant-garde Florence-based architects led by Adolfo Natalini and Cristiano Toraldo di Francia, who, in the 1970s, brought about a revolution in the field of radical architecture. Over the years, Superstudio has opened a number of branches around Milan, setting up different companies to specifically address the varied needs of image and event communications. Several leading creatives and professionals have trained within the group.
“Superstudio Group began life in 1983, 40 years ago. This is an important milestone for a family business that set out to make communication, photography, fashion, design, art, innovation, culture, and, later, research, progress, digitalization, advanced technology, and sustainability, the foundation of its social and business discourse through BTB and BTC events. And from day-one, every new project was a success. … Over the years, it’s seemed to us that we’ve been fulfilling the needs of companies and people by offering places, opportunities, and stimuli for information, education, opportunities, visibility, and even happiness.”
From the editorial Superstudio 1983–2023. 40 Years of Creativity, by Gisella Borioli, published in the latest issue of @AT Superstudio Magazine.
All images courtesy of Superstudio
