5VIE orchestrates sustainability, collaboration and sharing in Milan

5vie Design District, part of Milan Design Week 2024, is all set to platform a sublime combination of art and design innovations in Milan, Italy, from April 15 - 21, 2024. The upcoming design festival follows up its preceding theme of Design for Good with an amplified focus on sustainability, well being and community, this year. The theme, Unlimited Design Orchestra, seeks to augment these ideas by tracing musical elements, specifically from orchestras, as models, to inspire a design increasingly focused on an intrinsically humanistic dimension. The events scheduled to take place during the design week aim to look at design as a means to promote mutual care and humanism through its theme. With the new theme, the 11th edition of 5vie aims to stimulate a blend of diverse cultures while uncovering an interactive space for people.

The idea for Unlimited Design Orchestra aligns to explore the universality of design and artistic language in a space, hence, promoting a blend of diverse cultures, sustainability of materials used and highlighting the importance of respect, tolerance and mutual love. This year, owing to a fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, a new venue, Palazzo Litta in Corso Magenta, an 18th-century historic centre, has also been added to the venue list.

To celebrate the design fest, 5VIE invites artists, designers, and curators from various independent studios and companies to come forth with new partnerships to contribute towards building a diverse space promoting creativity and innovation. STIR enlists a few events to look out for this design season.

5VIE Productions

5VIE production brings forth active cultural productions, inviting artists, designers, and curators to present productions in collaboration with international creators to reflect upon innovation concerning the design sector.

Amongst the showcases this year is Shadows & Poems, a project by ELIURPI, inspired by the Spanish traditional hat-making technique to portray the purity of lines, connecting the history of a region to diverse places in the world. Indian Tiny Mega Store, a project by Indian designer Gunjan Gupta showcases her unconventional creative approach with a collection of everyday objects. Gupta will present Ikkis, one of her latest collections, that alludes to the physical and spiritual significance and symbolism associated with the number 21 or ‘Ikkis’ in Hindi. Another creation for display at 5VIE is Salvage, a project by Jay Sae Jung Oh, which is made up of spiral forms and tones of leather wrapped up over debris. Her other collectibles also combine the use of wastes such as unused plastic and bicycle parts, to focus on social awareness for sustainability.

LA QUINTA VIA, a project by METAVERSO 5VIE, will let the visitors dive into the experience of a digital exhibition and discover stories and connections that have shaped the history of 5VIE. Additionally, the 5VIE Design District will also showcase several installations like Omi Iyọ by Nifemi Marcus-Bello, which is the representation of the undocumented journey of migrants from Africa to Europe; and UNDER THE WILLOW TREE, by Sara Ricciardi (https://www.stirpad.com/designers/italy/sara-ricciardi/), an installation with willow branches producing acoustic vibrations, enriching the space it is placed in.

Partners

In addition to the 5VIE productions, the design district will feature exhibitions and installations curated by several partners such as Artemest, ARC Studio Perlini, Seletti, and MoscaPartners, amongst others.

Trattoria Altra Vista is a travelling concept introduced by the Anotherview collective. It seeks to promote Italy with a series of installations stationed on different windows, depicting various Italian locations, hence, providing inspiration for each edition's narrative. Artemest will present the second edition of L’Appartamento, a celebration of Italian design and craftsmanship. Design Pride, a project by Italian brand Seletti, will celebrate design through music, performance and banners to spread the message of “We are Design.”

Straordinaria is a project by Japanese design studio we+ in collaboration with kitchenware brand Elica, which merges innovation with the pursuit of beauty through their site-specific installation inviting the public to immerse themselves in a magical ethereal space. My Garden – Micro Serre di Quartiere is a project by ARC Studio Perlini that will allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of small collective green spaces in populated city neighbourhoods.

The District

The district in 5VIE will bring forth various curated events by several international brands and their collaborations within the design district. Some of the most promising showcases expected for the upcoming design week are listed below.

Arjumand’s World presents Chinoiseries in Tapisseries, a scenic installation in the heart of the 5VIE district during Fuorisalone 2024, paying homage to the concept of the Chinoiserie of the eighteenth century, a period when Europe underwent significant influence from Chinese art with floral patterns and mythological animals.

To unveil the beauty of modern Azerbaijani craftsmanship, CHELEBI will present the exhibition Room of Azerbaijan, to showcase a collection of handmade articles, such as table porcelain, clay vases, and statuettes crafted by local artisans using traditional techniques.

Nature's Crust will host various works by artist and designer Nicola Maggi, such as large artworks depicting leaves, animals, and natural elements, as well as both decorative and functional sculptures. Maggi utilised the typically discarded marble crust to craft sculptures and furnishings that will be displayed during the design event. In doing so, he manages to display materials that preserve various archaic memories in their dents and scratches.

Studio Hänninen, located in the monumental 19th-century building of SIAM, presents Layered Landscape, an exhibition within the photographic studio that prompts the audience to reflect on the theme of landscapes, interacting directly with the exhibited works. WAIT and SEE present EARTHY DE-LIGHTS, a captivating lighting installation by Darryl Bedford. The project intends to blend traditional origami with modern digital design and 3D sculpting in an array of Bedford’s unique lighting solutions.

Some other showcases that will be exhibited within the 5VIE design district include FLYING SOFTNESS, an installation designed by art director Ilaria Marelli, THE BATHROOM IDEAS FACTORY by Carroccio6, ACROSS THE LINE by Chendù, Grounded by Fornace Brioni, IN-WEAVE by LABORATORIO PARAVICINI and The Energy of Fir by Madì, among others.

5VIE Design Week will take place from April 15 to 21, 2024 during Milan Design Week 2024, in Milan, Italy.

Stay tuned with STIR's coverage of Milan Design Week 2024 which showcases the best of exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands and events to look out for. Explore EuroCucina and all the design districts—Fuorisalone, 5vie Design Week, Isola Design Week, Brera Design District and Porta Venezia Design District.