At the upcoming Milan Design Week, XL Extralight will be unveiling the ultra-light material designed with the revolutionary patented Fin project technology, at Alcova 2022- Paradox Garden. The site-specific installation is conceived by Italian design and research agency Parasite 2.0. "For this year's Fuorisalone we had in mind the creation of something that could communicate the cornerstones of our ingredient brand in a way that is unexpected and different from the usual. This is why we turned to Parasite 2.0, whose experimental approach has enabled them to interpret our character and make it tangible, through intriguing machines that float in balance, above elements made of XL Extralight. We hope that these balances and paradoxes stimulate your unconscious as they did for us at XL Extralight," shares Carlo Vecchiola, Foam Design Product and Brand Manager.
The six paradoxical machines staged at Alcova for Milan Design Week 2022, speak directly to visitors without the need for mediation or captions. In the Paradox Garden, the polymeric giants detach themselves from the earth in an extreme balancing act, challenging the observers. "With XL Extralight; their technology and materials, we were able to give physical form to some of the research themes we have been investigating in recent years, one of which is the dissolution of the artificial-natural boundary," shares Annalisa Rosso, design curator for the installation.
The gigantic installation holds the chances of activation by the glance of the people who observe it, interactive with the movements and the more or less explicit suggestions. With a change in the perspective of observation, the scenario can be completely transformed. An overturned beam in raw concrete is supported by four pads made of ultra-light material, which is the only coloured element, in contrast with the natural Carrara marble, stone and wood. Directly consolidating the archetypical notion of the enormous weight of the world resting on a tiny, very light and bright idea, in a beautiful shade of green. Though, as the designers would state, XL Extralight was not invented for this purpose, however, there is no better narrative for talking about pressure, dilation and balance than the subtle expression of the installation. Parasite 2.0 pushes the acceleration of its heuristic practice to the maximum with detailed research and without the need for a pre-established process and dogmatic rules, granting alternative perceptions and solutions relatable to unforeseen situations.
With the futuristic installations, the contrast between man and nature seems to disappear as a function of a new coexistence- an exchange made of balance and mutual observation. Extralight is an ingredient brand contexted from the research and creativity of Finproject S.p.A., with 57 years of experience as an international leader in the production of thermoplastic cross-linkable compounds and the manufacture of soles and other ultralight products. With a weight around three times less than that of others with the same mechanical properties, it is made from polyolefin-based granules that are perfect for creating expanded and moulded foams using injection technology.
STIR takes you on a Milanese sojourn! Experience Salone del Mobile and all the design districts - 5vie, Brera, Fuorisalone, Isola, Zona Tortona, and Durini - with us. STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2022, Meanwhile in Milan showcases the best exhibits, moods, studios, events, and folks to look out for. We are also excited to announce our very own STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO.
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