PREVIEW – SALONE DEL MOBILE & MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2025
Andiamo!

The artist and designer Es Devlin presents the ‘Library of Light’ in the Cortile d'Onore of the Pinacoteca di Brera, a Salone project in collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera and with the support of the Milan publishing house Feltrinelli. The rotating cylindrical sculpture with a diameter of 18 metres, which consists of illuminated shelves containing over 2,000 books, reflects a quote by Umberto Eco: ‘Books are the compass of the mind, they point to countless worlds that have yet to be explored’. For the duration of the exhibition, the ‘Library of Light’ will become a stage for thoughts and dialogues that combine art, literature, craftsmanship and reflections on our times. The installation includes readings from ‘The Order of Time’ by physicist Carlo Rovelli, read by actor Benedict Cumberbatch, and ‘The Mystic Heaven’ by mathematician and philanthropist Maria Gaetana Agnesi. Their voices will be accompanied by a composition by the British duo Polyphonia, with a solo violin from Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major op. 61, 1806. On 8 April 2025, 14:30 to 15:30, a talk will be held at the Salone del Moble, Pavilion 14, on the topic of "Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives’ with Es Devlin.

Pinacoteca di Brera / Cortile d'Onore
Via Brera, 28, 20121 Milano
7 to 21 April 2025
9 am to 9 pm

‘Mother’, a vision of Michelangelo's sculpture “Pietà Rondanini”, was created by Robert Wilson especially for the Salone in the Museo della Pietà Rondanini – Castello Sforzesco in collaboration with the Cultural Department of the City of Milan. The universal and timeless values of the masterpiece are honoured in a dramaturgical dialogue with the ‘Stabat Mater’, a medieval prayer in a vocal and instrumental version by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. To mark the opening of the Salone del Mobile, Robert Wilson's work ‘The night before. Object Chairs Opera’ with the orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala under the direction of Michele Spotti.

Museo Pietà Rondanini – Castello Sforzesco
Piazza Castello, 20121 Milano
8 April to 18 May, 9 am to 6 pm
Tickets & times: Click here

The Euroluce International Lighting Forum
Euroluce Fiera Milano, Rho – Pavilion 2
Masterclass: Robert Wilson
Light for Life. Light for Spaces
Thursday 10 April, 12:15 pm

Young talents under the age of 35 present their work at the SaloneSatellite: founded in 1998 by Marva Griffin Wilshire, the exhibition at the Salone del Mobile is the most important international platform for young designers. In pavilions 5 and 7 of the exhibition halls, visitors can explore the answer to the question of how designers under the age of 35 see craftsmanship and its connection to the future of design: ‘Nuovo Artigianato: Un Mondo Nuovo // New Craftsmanship: A New World’ is the motto with which they will look at the past and the future of design. Among the creative minds represented this year are the duo Hahn&CuestaWolf, who will be presenting new furniture designs made of wood in Hall 5, Stand D05. You can also look forward to the presentation of the SaloneSatelliteAward, which will be presented this year on 9 April at 3 p.m. in the exhibition arena.

SaloneSatellite
Fiera Milano, Rho
8 to 13 April 2025
9:30 am to 6:30 pm
Pavilion 5 and 7

This year, the Alcova platform will feature 100 exhibitors at four extraordinary venues, including the historic Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, as well as the newly unveiled former SNIA factory and the Pasino Glass Houses. In these pristine spaces reclaimed by nature, the work of both established and emerging designers will be presented through site-specific installations and curated shows.

Opening hours:
7-13 April 2025, 11am to 7pm (last admission 6pm)

SNIA Factory: Via Umberto I, 69, Varedo

Pasino Glasshouses: Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 54, Varedo

Villa Bagatti: Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 48, 20814 Varedo MB, Italy

Villa Borsani: Via Umberto I, 148, 20814 Varedo MB, Italy, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (admission costs 25 euros, advance booking required)

The ‘Vienna Vibes’ exhibition by Galerie Zippenfenig will be on show at the Erotika Boutique during Milan Design Week and will feature a variety of exciting positions, including those by ante up: In collaboration with Fantoplast, the creative duo will be presenting ‘TIDEChair’, a rocking chair made from 100 per cent recycled plastic sheets.

Opening hours:
Opening: Monday, 7 April, 6 pm
Cocktail: Wednesday, 9 April, 6 p.m.
Exhibition: 8 to 13 April
Tue to Sun: 10 am to 7.30 pm

Erotika Boutique
Via Melzo 19
20129 Milan

In collaboration with Nando Studio, the Budde design studio is showing a new collector's item in the Galleria Rossana Orlandi: ‘DUNE’, a handmade rug that can be transformed into a chaise longue with its curved aluminium structure and combines traditional floor seating with European comfort.

Opening hours:
7 – 13 April 2025
9:30 am – 8 pm

RoCollectible 2025
Galleria Rossana Orlandi
Via Matteo Bandello, 14, 20123 Milan

As part of the Audi House of Progress, Studio Drift is presenting the interactive and robot-assisted art installation ‘Drift Us’. It is located in the courtyard of the Hotel Portrait Milano and addresses the central role of wind in our planet's ecosystem. ‘Drift Us’ is a moving and interactive space designed to remind guests that they are in a dynamic dialogue with their environment. In addition, Lonneke Gordijn, co-founder of Studio Drift, will hold a masterclass as part of the Euroluce International Forum.

Audi House of Progress
7 to 13 April 2025
Portrait Milano Hotel, Corso Venezia 11 (main entrance) or S. Andrea, 10 (side entrance)
10 am to midnight

Masterclass: Uniting people through light and motion
The Euroluce International Lighting Forum
Friday, 11 April 2025, 12:15 pm
Arena The Forest of Space by Sou Fujimoto
Euroluce Fiera Milano, Rho – Pavilion 2

'Vocla' is a new platform for design experiments during Milan Design Week, including a lounge bar by Henge and a pop-up restaurant by Yapa. On show will be recent work by emerging and established designers, ranging from research-based installations to experiments in craft and collectible design, presented thanks to the support of Henge. As a nighttime counterpart to Alcova's established daytime event, ‘Vocla’ will take place in its former exhibition space in an industrial building in Viale Molise. Seating in the YAPA pop-up restaurant is by reservation only, while the main bar will be open to the public every evening from 6pm to 2am. Entry is free of charge.

Opening times:
6 to 12 April 2025 (closed on 7 April) 

6 pm to 2 am

Ex-Macello di Viale Molise
Viale Molise, 68

20137 Milan

Honoka, in cooperation with Aqua Clara Co., presents the exhibition for the ‘Trace of Water’ project at Palazzo Litta. As a design laboratory focussing on sustainable materials, technologies and culture, Honoka is constantly experimenting and verifying – such as developing construction materials that utilise the properties of plastic water bottles. By maximising the inherent rigidity and durability of polycarbonate, they are exploring its potential applications in architecture and spatial design. Honoka was honoured with the SaloneSatellite Award in 2023.

Trace of Water
7 April to 13 April, 2025
10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

MoscaPartners Variations
Palazzo Litta
Corso Magenta 24
20121 Milan

This year, the ‘10 Corso Como’ concept store will host collective exhibitions from all over the world: the space will be transformed into a creative centre where collective shows will be presented: the pop-up event Maison Margiela x Gentle Monster and the installation by Bibi van der Velden in the store, the exhibition 101010 by LAYER in the project space, ArnoDeclercq in the gallery, Anteprima with the artist Mika Ninagawa on the mezzanine floor and the Yohji Yamamoto residency in the pop-up.

Opening times:
7 to 13 April 2025
10:30 am to 8:30 pm

Corso Como, 10
20154 Milan

Studio Bovti, founded in 2024 by Inna Strokous and Marius Schwald, combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative manufacturing techniques to create functional art objects with narrative depth. Each work is a fusion of material, form and emotion: an artistic expression that is also usable. The experimental use of materials – from natural stone and ceramics to recycled paper – results in works that redefine the boundaries of design and art.

Magical Forest
by Studio Bovti
7 to 13 April 2025
11 am to 7 pm

Villa Bagatti Valsecchi
Via Vittorio Emanuele II 48
La Foresteria, Room F3
20814 Varedo MB

Capsule Plaza 2025 is curated by the founder and creative director of Capsule, Alessio Ascari, and the architect Paul Cournet. ‘Expand Living’ is the motto and is intended to promote the idea of design as an overall experience, push the boundaries of living space and redesign lifestyles through hybrid living spaces. Participants include HEM feat. Formafantasma, Max Lamb, Kwangho Lee, Philippe Malouin, Soft Baroque and Faye Toogood; HUMANRACE feat. USM Haller; NO-GA feat. NM3, Willo Perron and Paul T. Frankl; Hydro feat. Sabine Marcelis, Stefan Diez, Cecilie Manz, Keiji Takeuchi and Daniel Rybakken; LACIVIDINA feat. Pierre Paulin as well as special projects by Konstantin Grcic, Harry Nuriev & Tyler Billinger, Sam Chermayeff Office and Arpa Studios. The installations will be accompanied by lectures, workshops and pop-ups.

Capsule Plaza. Expanded Living
Spazio Maiocchi, Via Achille Maiocchi 3-5-7-8
Satellite Venue 1, Via Achille Maiocchi 23
Satellite Venue 2, Piazza Risorgimento 8
Opening: 7 April 2025, 6 to 10 pm
Opening hours: 8 – 13 April 2025, 10 am to 8 pm, free admission

Dropcity, the new centre for progressive thinking in architecture and design, will officially open its cultural programme in Milan on 3 April 2025. Two new exhibitions will be presented at the centre: ‘Prison Times – Spatial Dynamics of Penal Environments’ and ‘Bruther.fbx’. These are open until 31 May 2025. Dropcity aims to create an open space for the next generation of architects, researchers, curators and designers and to promote cultural dialogue in order to develop better worlds.

Via Giovanni Battista Sammartini, 38/60
20125 Milano

3 April to 13 April
Mon-Fri, 11am-7pm
15 April to 31 May
Mon-Fri, 11am-7pm

Studio Yellowdot and Eggs Milano have joined forces for the ‘Breaking the Shell’ project to redefine sustainable fine dining with eggshell-inspired design. The duo has developed a technique to transform eggshells into an elegant and tactile material that has been integrated into the crockery and spatial details of the restaurant. In this context, Studio Yellowdot will present their new ‘Hatch’ floor lamp, an extension of their furniture and lighting collection made of eggshells, resin and stainless steel.

EGGS Milano
7 to 13 April 2025
Via Solferino 35, 20121 Milan
Daily from 12 noon

‘Good Selection’ is a group exhibition with over 60 designers, initiated and organised by Lucas Zito and Marika Caputo. It is intended to offer an insight into contemporary work in all its forms and uses a former furniture factory in Varedo with an area of 300 square metres. In parallel, the ‘No Selection’ exhibition offers a glimpse into the creative laboratory: be it a research project, a prototype or an earlier creation.

Good Selection
Via Santa Cecilia, 12B, 20814 Varedo (near Alcova)
7 April: Opening at 5 pm, 7-13 April 2025: 10 am to 8 pm
11 April: Design Talk, Dishes & Forniture Pallotta
BIM, Viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli, 10, 20126 Milano
12 April: Closing party Good Selection & Comune, 8 pm to 2 am

No Selection
Viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli, 10, 20126 Milano
BIM, Viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli, 10, 20126 Milan
5-13 April 2025, open around the clock