For this year’s Milano Design Week, the Superdesign Show brings back a few familiar themes and some new surprises. Let’s start with the old favourites: as we all know, Superstudio loves Japan, as demonstrated by the enduring connection between the space and Fuorisalones of years gone by. Companies, start-ups and big collaborations appear on the horizon in a panorama of various events defined by formal minimalism as well as advanced technology, with a category of products that is increasingly refined in terms of performance and capacity for interaction.

The scenography and interactive installation by Takahiro Matsuo will counterbalance the more artisanal and convivial nature of the Japan Design Week, in the hope that it won’t all just end up as an exhibition of products with powerful cybernetic value but very little in terms of communication. Then there is the much-awaited return of Nendo, and we can already envisage the kilometre-long queues forming in Via Tortona. The overall art direction was entrusted to Giulio Cappellini, who once again proves himself to be a crucial part of what makes the Salone a success. His Superloft project is also arousing interest, an entire contemporary design home that might help the more distracted among us to redefine their taste in the living sector.

Material’s Village is back again with a busy schedule of events focused on materials for innovation: their excellent guest is the MIT from Boston, which has always been able to explain the incomprehensible clearly and enthusiastically. The discussion will be centred around the Smart City and Urban Technology. However, what will probably generate the most interest are the spaces dedicated to independent exhibitions such as IDEA – The Design Supermarket, an ironic parody of the flat-pack ethos, as well as The Nile Selection and Java Blues, two events dedicated to the narration of the Egyptian and Indonesian languages applied to furniture design today. In short, there’s a lot going on and something for everybody, so it looks like Superstudio will have another great year.