Unlimited Design Orchestra: 5VIE’s previews at Fuorisalone 2024

Now in its eleventh edition, the 5VIE Design Week is also almost back with the title Unlimited Design Orchestra, bringing authorial and collectible design, elite craftsmanship and new combinations of art and design, creativity and form back to the heart of the historic center of Milan.

Thanks to a fruitful institutional collaboration with the Ministry of Culture - Regional Secretariat for Lombardy - this year the district returns to Palazzo Litta in Corso Magenta, a prestigious eighteenth-century place, where it was possible to install the works of the art of designers with a high cultural profile from all over the world, with the aim not only of enhancing the historical and artistic heritage, but also of creating profound human connections and thus challenging the complexities of the present with the unknowns of the future.


Artemest, L'Appartamento at Residenza Vignale

If last year the theme Design for good recalled the increasingly pressing need for mutual care between human beings, looking at design as a tool capable of combining anthropocentrism and philanthropy at the same time, Unlimited Design Orchestra today aims to amplify its sense and significance, tracing in music and, specifically, in the elements of an orchestra, the models from which to draw inspiration for a design focused on an intrinsically human and humanistic dimension. 'Orchestra' to be understood, therefore, both as a physical place and as a group of people capable of interacting with each other in order to create a profound harmonious relationship: as well as the union of the individual elements of an orchestra, respecting the mutual differences, harmony and the sublime arise, Unlimited Design Orchestra, with a view to sustainability rooted in collaboration and sharing, proposes a vision of design aimed at creating and cultivating profound human vibrations.

As per tradition, 5VIE is not only a container of design, but also a cultural producer. The productions represent moments of reflection on the state of the art of the discipline in which artists, designers and curators are asked to delve deeper into an aspect of the theme established from time to time.


Eliurpi

This year 5VIE presents eight productions in collaboration with international creatives, confirming already consolidated collaborations and inaugurating new ones.

Shadows & Poems, curated by Mr. Lawrence, will be at Palazzo Litta and will present the creations of ELIURPI (i.e. the creative duo Elisabet Urpí and Nacho Umpiérrez). There will be presented objects and hats, unique pieces more focused on art than on the product itself, with a peculiar aesthetic consistent with their values. Multidisciplinary artists drawing on architecture and contemporary art, their sculptural works began to be acquired by international art collectors and this is opening up a new paradigm and a look towards the future for them. They are committed to creating unique artistic works: artisans, creative and honest. I am part of the new generation of artists of the 21st century, where there are no boundaries.

Indian Tiny Mega Store, a project by Gunjan Gupta curated by MC Didero which we will be able to see in the traditional 5VIE Headquarters in Cesare Correnti and which will present the work of Gunjan Gupta. She is one of the most talented designers of our time, with her playful and unconventional approach to design, also characterized by a particular attention to the ingenuity and potential of her native country, India, and which is reflected in pieces unique collectibles, which find full realization in his latest project, Ikkis. The term Ikkis, whose meaning in Hindi is 'twenty-one', refers to a number defined by the artist herself as "eternally significant and symbolic, in both physical and spiritual spheres". The collection, made up of elegant and finely crafted, finds space in the miniature creation of a typical Indian supermarket, a representative expedient, in the artist's intentions, of a democratization of Design, accessible to all. In a corner of the Devil's House, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in an atmosphere exquisitely Indian, made up of engaging music and spicy flavours, changing colors and oriental scents; the sensation will be that of finding yourself in the streets of a country, India, in continuous change, open to the world but firm in its roots. In the twenty-one artefacts selected by the artist and the curator and displayed among wooden shelves dating back to the 18th century, guests will be able to admire the high craftsmanship and grasp the meaning of Gupta's ambitious project, inextricably linked to the number 'twenty-one' as it originated in the 21st century, historical moment in which - according to the Indian designer - sequence, modularity and symmetry influence the way of designing man's life. A capsule collection is dedicated to Milan and the colors of Ettore Sottsass.


Jay Sae Jung Ho © Ian Allen

Salvage, a project by Jay Sae Jung Oh produced by 5VIE, will be at Palazzo Litta with the innovative creations of Seattle-based Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh. Oh's journey into the world of design began immediately with worry and bewilderment as she earned his MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the United States. It was there that, surrounded by piles of prototypes and dormitory debris, Oh found her inspiration: a philosophy and an approach to design to develop and pursue by telling the life of her person through the life of the objects. Her pieces are born from the chaotic mess that she encountered on her way, coming to think that with enough commitment and imagination even discarded, rubbish can be redeemed and transformed into something not only useful, but absolutely surprising. Oh's latest masterpiece will be revealed for Milan Design Week: a unique piece, a seat that encapsulates her precise vision and her craftsmanship. With an exclusive focus on natural leather, Jay Sae Jung Oh's new piece will present yet another harmonious version of a piece of furniture born from a story with an unpredictable past.

Also at Palazzo Litta we will find Kostas Lambridis with Natural Selection, a work developed during the RESIDENCE #2 ROOTED FLOWS at INResidence in Turin; but also Nifemi Marcus-Bello with Omi Iyọ, curated by Anna Carnick, a moving installation by the rising star of Nigerian design that draws attention to the dangerous journeys of undocumented migrants from Africa to Europe and which acts as a poetic sign to honor the real human toll of this crisis. Formally referring to the hull of a boat, the polished stainless steel work acts as a mirror, offering a symbolic and literal image to visitors. At the beginning of the week, Omi Iyọ - (which means 'salt water' in Yoruba, the designer's native language) will be filled with salt, which will flow from an opening at the bottom of the object creating salt crystals. With the elegance and silent urgency of an hourglass, Marcus-Bello's work attracts attention and dignify the memory of those who, in search of a better future, face a treacherous and often deadly sea voyage.


Nifemi Marcus Bello © Stephen Tayo

TAKE AND EAT is back, curated by Linda Pilar Zanolla with interventions - among others - by Studio Serena Cancellieri, Ron Arad, Giopato & Coombes, MA! Studio, Daria Dazzan and Marie Eklund. Take and Eat - this year at Palazzo Litta - continues to explore the idea of the table, the symbolic act of dialogue, sharing, relationships and human connections. In this edition it was decided to focus precisely on the title of the exhibition, on the act itself, through a selection of 'primordial' objects, the first contact with food which becomes energy transformable by the body. The choice of works, created by different artists, is not dictated by simple decorative canons: the objects are not inanimate, therefore everything is unique and precious.

Sara Ricciardi, almost a godmother for the 5VIE district, will present UNDER THE WILLOW TREE at Palazzo Litta, an immersive installation - inspired by the willow, symbol of the cycle of life, the female cycle and lunar power - with sinuous willow branches that give life to space, becoming harmonious sound elements, hydrophones, capable of producing acoustic vibrations through small metal bells which, in the wind or as people pass by, return a melody of notes with an ancestral appeal.

METAVERSO 5VIE will instead present an online project entitled La Quinta Via, an experiential metaverse that will offer digital visitors two paths of knowledge and in-depth analysis. The first route will be a fascinating 3D exhibition of the works of designers and artists from different parts of the world, unable to physically exhibit their works. The metaverse will allow them to be an active part of the 5VIE community, thus promoting both accessibility and inclusiveness, in a participatory perspective achieved thanks to a digital ecosystem. The second path, however, will be a real serious game: La Quinta Via, a science fiction PROPHECY but not too much, will see a city (Milan) become the capital of a "Universal Union" fueled by new forms of Energy-Humanism. The treasure hunt, aimed at a lost book (Petrarch's Secretum), will allow the visitor to interact with unconventional knowledge, to discover stories and plots that have characterized both the history of the 5VIE district and Western culture. 5VIE, already spokesperson for social innovation trends (circular and sustainable design, proximity tourism, humanistic digitalisation), with La Quinta Via begins to proactively enter the future of WEB3.


DESIGN PRIDE by Seletti - We Are Design © LaFata Bruno

In addition to the 5VIE productions, there will be many presences to report in the district. Among these, the Anotherview collective with Trattoria Altra Vista at Palazzo Litta, a traveling imaginary trattoria format to explore and promote Italy around the world, through the reinterpretation of the evocative Anotherview windows; Artemest with the second edition of L'Appartamento, a celebration - through the curatorship of Elicyon, GACHOT, Rottet Studio, Studio Meshary AlNassar, Tamara Feldman Design and VSHD Design - of the beauty and uniqueness of Italian craftsmanship and design at interior of the Vignale Residence, a princely residence built at the beginning of the 20th century; ARC Studio Perlini with My Garden – Neighborhood Micro Greenhouses, a project curated by Michele Perlini in Piazza Cordusio which will present city-sized modular micro greenhouses; Elica with Straordinaria by we+ in collaboration with Fondazione Ermanno Casoli, curated by Marcello Smarrelli at Palazzo Litta which will present a site-specific installation designed by the experimental Japanese design studio we+; the usual appointment with DESIGN PRIDE, a project by Seletti which for the 7th year will celebrate freedom, creativity and fun.

Oltre alle produzioni 5VIE, saranno tante le presenze da segnalare nel distretto. Tra queste, il collettivo Anotherview con Trattoria Altra Vista a Palazzo Litta, un format itinerante di trattoria immaginaria per esplorare e promuovere l’Italia nel mondo, attraverso la reinterpretazione delle suggestive finestre Anotherview; Artemest con la seconda edizione de L’Appartamento, una celebrazione - attraverso la curatela di Elicyon, GACHOT, Rottet Studio, Studio Meshary AlNassar, Tamara Feldman Design e VSHD Design - della bellezza e dell’unicità dell’artigianato e del design italiano all’interno della Residenza Vignale, dimora principesca costruita agli inizi del ‘900; ARC Studio Perlini con My Garden – Micro Serre di Quartiere, progetto curato da Michele Perlini in Piazza Cordusio che presenterà micro serre modulari a misura di città; Elica con Straordinaria by we+ in collaborazione con Fondazione Ermanno Casoli, curato da Marcello Smarrelli a Palazzo Litta che presenterà un’installazione site-specific progettata dallo sperimentale design studio giapponese we+; il consueto appuntamento con il DESIGN PRIDE, progetto di Seletti che per il 7° anno celebrerà la libertà, la creatività e il divertimento. 


Viscio, RecycALL for Terrasza

Finally, we would like to highlight: Uni Sonos at Milan Design Week 2024 by UniCredit in via Borromei 5, with an installation project by Studiopepe which showcases an exceptional collection of costumes from the illustrious Arena of Verona, which combines the excellence of creativity and culture feminine in an unparalleled environment; Dermophonic by Matteo Cibic at Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Piazza Cordusio, an experimental project that offers an emotional journey that intertwines art and the flavors of coffee; TERRASZA: ENJOY THE OUTDOORS! by Terrasza - new phygital platform exclusively dedicated to Exterior Design - in via E. De Amicis 17; PORNO CHIC - A far l’amore comincia tu, a project at Casa Ornella by designer Maria Vittoria Paggini (MVP) developed from the dialogue with a selection of artists, an invitation to leave modesty and reticence behind as soon as you walk through the door of the house-gallery, to tune in to a design texture that connects different worlds in a powerful combination of design, art and craftsmanship.