PREVIEW – SALONE DEL MOBILE & MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2023
Designing change

Anna Moldenhauer: Andrea, what is the context of your exhibition design for Euroluce 2023?

Andrea Trimarchi: Euroluce has been redesigned this year. The new layout on the fairgrounds allows for the creation of squares as well as alleys and the Salone del Mobile.Milano team has questioned what kind of content they want to offer in these areas. The idea is to provide an experience that is not only shaped by the exhibitors but also by the fair itself. The team from Lombardini22 was responsible for redefining the exhibition space and its processes, while we were commissioned to create the large arena and the "cameos", smaller exhibitions on the fairground. The cultural content with which these will be presented was selected by the curator Beppe Finessi.

Experimenting with design and exploring unusual materials is part of your work – what materials have you chosen for the public spaces, squares and exhibitions at Euroluce?

Andrea Trimarchi: We have preferably worked with recycled and recyclable materials such as wood and metal, and created modular structures that can be dismantled and reused after Euroluce. At each step, we considered the meaning of the choice of material for the installation as a whole. In addition to the modularity of the structure, the decisive factor for us in each case is what effect the materials have on the visitors. For the "Aurore" arena, we use textiles such as velvet and carpets to contrast with the screens that are suspended from the ceiling above the heads of the visitors. It also allows us to provide a sheltered, almost homely environment.

You just mentioned it – in the centre of the fair, in Hall 13, there is the "Aurore" arena that you created. What was the idea behind it?

Andrea Trimarchi: "Aurore" is a form of arena in which the talks curated by Annalisa Rosso on lighting, technology and sustainability will take place. The Salone del Mobile.Milano requested a central space that would not be empty after the talks. Therefore, we created seating areas crowned by seven large-format LED rings floating from the ceiling. We wanted to give the impression of looking up at the sky. Our aim was to provide a functional space for the presentations and at the same time to stimulate thinking about the possibilities and responsibilities in the design of light. In this process, we collaborated with philosopher Emanuele Coccia, with whom we had previously worked for an exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries: As a result, we show in an abstract way the transformation of light from a natural phenomenon into a human-controlled technology. To do this, we looked at light independently of a product and considered, for example, how light is used in the cultivation of plants. Other examples include how design and technology can be used to contribute to economic growth. Part of this is also a glimpse at the Phoebus Cartel, which was founded in 1925 by leading international light bulb manufacturers. One of their agreements was to standardise the life of incandescent lamps to 1000 hours. Basically, it was the first time that the limited durability of a product was specified in advance. "Aurore" is thus a functional space and equally an installation with a critical perspective. We address how design can be an expression of justice and social, cultural development, but also how technology becomes a tool for economic growth. The role of objects in our society is communicated vividly.

You also designed the library curated by the book publisher Corraini, what was the idea here?

Andrea Trimarchi: As we wanted to design a space that would stand out positively in terms of its function and effect, we included seating elements so that visitors could not only buy the books but also look at them in peace. The space thus resembles a public library rather than a classic bookshop.

Parallel to your installations and exhibition structures for the Salone del Mobile.Milano, you are presenting many other works in cooperation with a number of companies – for CC-Tapis, Tacchini or Prada Frames, for example. Can you give us an insight here?

Andrea Trimarchi: In collaboration with CC-tapis we designed the carpet collection "Telegram". The craftspeople enter into a dialogue with the designers about the product, as they were able to contribute to the design of the rugs during the creation of "Telegram". We asked them several questions, whose answers they wove into the carpets. In cooperation with Prada Frames, we also offer a multidisciplinary symposium that looks at the complex relationship between the natural environment and design. Conversations about its sustainability and ecology will include voices that are not part of the design discipline, such as anthropologists, philosophers or scientists. A dialogue between the disciplines is encouraged to discuss complex issues. Together with Tacchini Flock, we will also show a new, sustainable production system with wool from the Brianza region, which focuses on the recyclability of the materials. We are also working on optimising an existing system in parallel with Artek; in this cooperation, production with wood is central.

What are your projects after Euroluce?

Andrea Trimarchi: We are showing a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo from 26 May to 1 October 2023 entitled "Oltre Terra". A design show that explores the evolution of the extraction, production and distribution of wool products in relation to the biological evolution of sheep. It also addresses the redesign of the way materials, objects and technologies are presented in exhibitions. We are working for the Italian art gallery Menini on a current collection to be exhibited at the Centro Pecci Prato museum in Tuscany. Together with Flos, we are fine-tuning a product that will be launched next year. And we are currently realising a curatorial project for a museum that will open in the Netherlands in a few years. In addition, there are many other projects, interiors and cooperations with brands.

The City of Lights – Euroluce, Salone del Mobile.Milano
Pav 9 – 11 and 13 – 15
Milan Fair, Rho
18 - 23 April: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.

"Telegram" for CC Tapis
CC-tapis showroom
Piazza Santo Stefano 10, 20122 Milan
18-22 April: 10 am to 8 pm
23 April: 10 am to 5 pm

Flock, Tacchini
Spazio Maiocchi
Via Achille Maiocchi 7, 20129 Milan
17 April: 6 pm to 10 pm
18 to 23 April: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Prada Frames
Theme: Materials in Flux
Symposium curated by Formafantasma
17 April to 19 April 2023
Teatro dei Filodrammatici
Piazza Paolo Ferrari, 6, 20121 Milan
Limited places, pre-registration: click here.