15 must-see exhibitions and installations at this year's Milan design week
Our highlights of Milan design week 2017, which kicks off next week, include an exhibition that examines the demise of capitalism and a bubble-blowing installation.
The biggest event in the international design calendar, Milan design week takes over the Italian city in April each year. If you're visiting in 2017, tag your Instagram pictures with the #milanogram2017 hashtag for a chance to win £500 to spend at Dezeen Watch Store.
Read on for our guide to 15 unmissable exhibitions and installations to check out in Milan this year.
COS x Studio Swine
For this year's installation, COS has enlisted the help of London-based Studio Swine, led by designers Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves. The duo plan to create a "blossoming sculpture" inside a decommissioned cinema.
Cinema Arti, Via Pietro Mascagni 8
Mindcraft
Mindcraft will return to a location it used two years ago inside a Milanese palazzo. Fashion designer Henrik Vibskov has curated the exhibition, which will profile 18 makers and designers – including Lærke Valum, whose Moments Of project (pictured) explores this notion of time as a burden.
Chiostro Minore di San Simpliciano Piazza Paolo
God by Atelier Biagetti
Last year, Atelier Biagetti's No Sex exhibition addressed human psychology. This year, the studio will create an installation named God, which will explore the "rites and ritual" associated with money and power.
#TVclerici by Design Academy Eindhoven
Design Academy Eindhoven students and alumni will present works in a live TV studio, where visitors are invited to move about on set and backstage through a series of digital, analogue and augmented realities. There will also be sports reporting from the streets of Milan, as well as events being filmed live from the set and produced on-site.
Palazzo Clerici, Via Clerici 5
Breathe by MINI Living
MINI's Milan installation will be designed by New York architects SO-IL, who will look to the future of living spaces in relation to ever-shrinking homes and limited resources in urban areas.
Invisible Outlines by Nendo
Japanese studio Nendo, known for its prolific output, will present 16 new collections at the Jil Sander showroom in an exhibition titled Invisible Outlines. Here, the studio will submerge 30 of its new super-thin silicone vases in an aquarium so that they gently move around like jellyfish.
Jil Sander Showroom, Via Luca Beltrami 5
Multiplex by Tom Dixon
Tom Dixon will be displaying all his new releases at his Multiplex exhibition, which will inhabit an 840-seat 1950s cinema in Milan, and showcase his work alongside pop-ups from brands including Sonos, Mabeo and IKEA. The space will also host food and drink kiosks, where visitors can enjoy upmarket popcorn and gelato served in handmade ceramic cones.
Teatro Manzoni, Via Manzoni 42
Sonic Pendulum by Yuri Suzuki
Yuri Suzuki will be installing 30 swinging pendulums in the courtyard of one of Milan's oldest school buildings. Each pendulum is equipped with a speaker playing a calming ambient bassline, while artificial intelligence modulates sounds that are being made in the space – creating an "ever-evolving, meditative calming atmosphere".
The Future Sausage by ÉCAL
ÉCAL will be putting on a number of exhibitions during the week, including collaborations with IKEA and Punkt. But perhaps the most intriguing of the university's presentations will be at the Salone, where product design students will explore the "taste of the future sausage" as well as discussing alternatives for meat consumption.
Salone Satellite, Hall 22-24, Stand S02, Fiera Milano
Capitalism Is Over
This exhibition is described as a "farewell party" for capitalism, and features a retrospective section focusing on Italian brand Olivetti and Italy's post-war economic boom, as well as an overview on present-day methods of production, funding and distribution.
Cascina Cuccagna, Via Cuccagna 2/4
Passeggiata: An Airbnb experience of Milan
Airbnb's installation will take place inside a 15-century house, that was the home to Leonardo da Vinci while he was painting the Last Supper. The house will be filled with cabinets of curiosities displaying the personal collections of designers, including Dimore Studio, Matteo Thun and Faye Toogood.
Casa degli Atellani, Corso Magenta 65
Really installation by Max Lamb
Max Lamb has worked alongside Kvadrat to produce a series of benches that utilise an upcycled solid material marketed by the brand's newly acquired company, Really.
Project B gallery, Via Pietro Maroncelli, 7
IKEA Festival
Swedish furniture giant IKEA will take over a vast warehouse space in Milan's Lambrate district, which will host a programme of events from 10am to 8pm each day. Here, there will also be a section called Rooms for Life that features an interactive set made up of different living rooms styled by the likes of Faye Toogood, Open House and Pella Hedeby.
Excavated: Eviction by Paul Cocksedge
After being evicted from his studio to make way for a new property development, London designer Paul Cocksedge reacted by excavating material from the floor to produce a new series of furniture. He will present the five new works at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati during Milan design week.
Everything Is Connected
Everything Is Connected follows on from last year's Structure exhibition of Norwegian design, and will similarly take place in the Ventura Lambrate district. This year, the show has been curated by designer and interior architect Katrin Greiling, who plans to showcase the journey from maker to market and has chosen 30 of Norway's celebrated and up-and-coming designers to showcase their work.