The “Universe of Design” is the “Satellite” of the Salone del Mobile

by Nicola Desiderio on April 23, 2024

The city of Milan, renowned for its status as the world capital of design, is witnessing an event not to be missed during these days of design week: the exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of SaloneSatellite at the prestigious Triennale. In this exhibition entitled “Universo Satellite: 25 Years of SalonSatellite” (opened on the 16th April and available until the 28th of the month), the history of the event is told from 1998 to today, celebrating a quarter of a century of innovation and creativity in the world of design. The initiative offers a fascinating overview of the works and projects, particularly in the domestic sphere, that have shaped the path of this event, which since 2010 has become a real competition in its own right, establishing the SaloneSatellite Award to reward the three most deserving ones voted by an international jury.

The retrospective follows in the footsteps of two previous ones: the one entitled “A Dream Come True” to celebrate the first ten years of the SaloneSatellite, held inside pavilions 22–24 at the 2007 Salone del Mobile; and the 2017 one entitled “20 years of new creativity,” created at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan for the two decades of the event’s history. Both were curated by Beppe Finessi (a design critic) and set up by Ricardo Bello Dias (an architect), who are the same ones who also signed this commemorative exhibition at the Triennale. The godmother of the event is Marva Griffin Wilshire, the creator and curator of all editions of the event (including this year’s one set up in pavilions 5-7 of the Fair), as well as the director of the international press of the Salone del Mobile.

Initially conceived as a “spin-off” of the most important home furnishings fair in the world, this event has now become a real “universe,” which over time has involved people, schools, entrepreneurs, and companies around the projects of young designers, undisputedly becoming the research incubator for revolutionary ideas in the field of design. A unique stage that, as a “talent scout,” has selected 14 thousand creatives under 35 over all these years, giving them the opportunity to make themselves known and interact with companies interested in putting their projects into production.

Although the initiative was therefore originally part of the Salone del Mobile in Milan, bearing the name created by Massimo and Lella Vignelli who were then in charge of the graphics and image of the Salone, from the first edition it seemed clear that it would take on an autonomous identity capable of becoming the launching platform for young designers, many of whom stopped at the prototype, while others “broke through” like foreigners: Marc Newson who participated in the first edition (1998), Nendo, Ilka Suppanen, Matali Crasset, Oki Sato/Nendo, Sebastian Herkner, Studio Front, Daniel Rybakken, Francisco Gomez Paz, Sebastian Wrong, Patrick Jouin; and the Italians Cristina Celestino, Lorenzo Damiani, Paolo Ulian, Francesco Faccin and Benedetta Mori Ubaldini – just to name a few. Among these aces, some have won prestigious awards such as the Compassi d’Oro, a recognition that Salone Satellite itself won for “lifetime achievement” in 2014.

As evidence of the participation of these designers in the event, the Permanent Collection of the SaloneSatellite was created, which in November 2018, found its place in Lentate sul Seveso, Camnago (Monza and Brianza) within the new Wood Furnishings Training Center ITS Rosario Messina Foundation, the former president who strongly wanted this professionalizing school dedicated to the world of furniture. A permanent space of 500 m2 is dedicated – precisely – to “design under 35”, within which the pieces are rotated periodically from one edition to another. The idea of this collection was consolidated over the years when, at the end of the first editions, some participants decided to give their pieces to Marva, so she started collecting and preserving them.

Upon entering the Triennale, visitors are greeted by an atmosphere of excitement and wonder. The installation takes viewers on an evocative journey through the 25 years of this exhibition/competition, showing the evolution of trends, techniques and ideas in the international design panorama. The exhibition space is essentially made up of a “registry almanac” about seventy meters long and made up of 25 panels (with a blue background), each of which shows the plan of the original exhibition, some historical photos of the exhibitions and their protagonists, the names of the design schools, participants and winners of the respective editions; and some are even integrated with some scale pieces of the most significant objects of the year. A journey in 25 episodes that each tells their own compelling story. Inside the exhibition space this “time machine” takes you through “magic rooms” furnished with a selection of the most eloquent pieces in terms of plastic, aesthetic, technical and material research which have contributed to reinventing the typology of common objects , if not even to inventing new ones.

One of the distinctive elements of the Salone Satellite is its ability to embrace the diversity and plurality of perspectives in the world of design’; and this 25-year exhibition has reiterated this attitude, presenting works from every corner of the globe, each bearing a unique identity and distinctive aesthetic. This diversity has not only demonstrated the richness and vitality of the “global” design community, but has contributed to its recognition as a reality of cultural and social growth. In addition to celebrating art and creativity, the exhibition also highlighted the importance of innovation and sustainability in contemporary design. Many of the projects exhibited addressed crucial challenges, such as reuse, recycling and the responsible use of resources and the reduction of environmental impact, demonstrating how design can be a driver of cultural emancipation and a tool for raising awareness of common problems.

In this quarter of a century, the world of design has changed radically, and this event has perhaps been its most significant and influential “matrix”. In its first edition, the participants were essentially architects, because there were few design schools, while now there are at least 270 registered at an international level. At the beginning, the proposals were very pop, ironic and provocative. There was a lot of free experimentation and a desire to surprise. Then, thanks also to the interest of companies, we moved towards a more pragmatic culture aimed at the economic and production feasibility (in series) of the proposals presented.

Even the entry – not easy – of a greater “ecological” awareness together with the attention to new or sustainable materials have contributed to creating a language and a “modus operandi” on a supranational scale, which has facilitated networking opportunities for young people designers as well as the organization of workshops, conferences, debates and exhibitions, as well as the formation of specialized magazines around which to discuss and discuss. Through the continuous search for excellence, originality and the ability to stimulate and provoke thought, this exhibition continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting and promoting emerging talents in the world of design, and confirming itself as one of the most important and influential events in the world of furniture and a point of reference for the entire global design community.

The exhibition of the 25 years of the Salone Satellite at the Triennale di Milano is not only an opportunity to celebrate the past, but also to look at the present and future of design with optimism and determination, the same ones carried forward from the post-war period to today in that “magical” area of Italy (Brinza), made up of small and medium-sized companies involved in craftsmanship, where every good design idea can be realized and put into production. It is therefore no coincidence that the most important furniture fair in the world is in Lombardy and not in another European region. The Salone del Mobile and the SaloneSatellite, in particular, seem to be able, more than cinema and other art forms, to tell the story of time, to record changes by anticipating the aspirations of an increasingly expanded (global) and continually evolving society. This is why the world of design, which revolves around events like this, requires constant innovation, pushing the boundaries of creativity and imagination further and further to continue to educate society about “beauty” and combat the ugliness of our time.

The “Universe of Design” is the “Satellite” of the Salone del Mobile

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