Materiality and innovation at Milan Design Week

By Penny Craswell

As the Milan Furniture Fair ramps up, one of the common themes across the products from around the world is that of materiality – using materials in new ways, developing new material innovations and unexpected combinations of materials.

At the Triennale, a number of Asian design exhibitions were on display, including “Constancy and Change in Korean Traditional Craft” which displayed the work of contemporary Korean artisans working with traditional processes and concepts.

The ceremonial bowls of Master Lee Bong-ju are made in brass and each one, when struck, resonates at a different pitch. Lee Bong-ju is one of the last of a generation of artisans working in this way and has been named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Treasure. There is a stillness to the vibration of the bowls which, combined with the beauty of the beaten copper, provides a sense of serenity and majesty.

Elsewhere, TOG was the talk of the town – with Philippe Starck spearheading the new brand, and 21 families of product in all. Here, materiality is at least partially handed to the end-consumer through the availability of customisation. So, while many of the pieces are made in plastic or other hard-wearing materials, the end-user has the ability to choose custom additions to the piece – working directly with artists and craftspeople to create an individual add-on such as a paint finish or a woven, knitted or painted cover. Here, probably the most beautiful piece was by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of Industrial Facility – a marble desk and timber trolley with moveable elements placed on the top surface.

In design district Tortona, a group of Dutch designers showed their work as a group – here there were a number of excellent pieces, including Flourish Lamp by Floris Hovers who told me that what looked like a paper pendant shade was actually a non-woven metal in copper and aluminium. Flourish is part of brand New Duivendrecht selling Dutch design pieces.

Another new material that was both beautiful and ingenious was the Aerobie light by Pierre Charrie as part of the France Design exhibition. The light itself is not the innovation – instead, the lampshade made of timber sticks is fitted with a CO2 detector, allowing the light to measure air quality, and the timber pieces start to vibrate when the air is stuffy.

There is plenty more to see at this year’s Milan furniture fair, so stay tuned for the next update.