The key word here is empathy. Brera might just have got it spot on with the theme for this year’s Fuorisalone, since now more than ever the design world is desperately trying to empathise with a production and communication machine that is often too self-serving, vague and seriously lacking in content. It’s quite shocking to talk of such basic concepts in a context like Design Week, where creative flair and bizarre twists usually rule above all else.
Let’s start with the basics: the intention can definitely be appreciated, along with the choice to have a strong female representation within the district, with two of the three ambassadors chosen for this edition being Cristina Celestino ed Elena Salmistraro. Two designers who create a powerful weapon from empathy and – using materials, colours and shapes – make it into evocative products and environments. Cristina Celestino presents project “Corallo”, a travelling projection show in Milan’s oldest tram. The living room leans towards a dreamlike dimension and encourages you to experience the city using other tools, learning to see it from a new point of view. Elena Salmistraro, on the other hand, is part of the “DON’T CALL ME” campaign from Timberland and will be reinterpreting the iconic brand with an interactive installation to convey the meaning of empathy to visitors: a tree with female traits, Mother Earth calmly inviting us to put ourselves in others’ shoes for the common good.
Then there’s a new edition of the Brera Design Apartment, curated by Raffaella Guidobuono who invited many companies and women from the world of design – including Agustina Bottoni, Maddalena Selvini and Cynthia Vilchez – to underline the integral relationship between design and fine craftsmanship. Alongside them are 12 other designers who have been invited to create a brand-new piece for the launch of Souvenir Milano, the first collection of objects that will use the city as a symbol. This also features the designs of some promising young women, such as Astrid Luglio and Sara Ricciardi, and we are curious to see the results of their creative flair. No holds barred for Studiolabo either this year, with the announcement of two gadgets that will thrill design addicts: the Crumpy Map, a crumpled district map in collaboration with brand Palomar, and the official Fuorisalone board game.