Key words for what awaits us at “supersalone”

Supersalone, the special event 2021 of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, will open in the name of safety, design transversality and green commitment (in fact, 1.2 million kilograms of CO2 will not be released into the atmosphere thanks to the recovery of the fittings). It will be animated by over 423 brands and 50 independent designers, 170 projects from 48 international design schools, 20 of the most influential figures on the creative scene today, 110 Compasso d’Oro award-winning chairs, 6 great chefs, 5 films selected by MDFF and 200 trees from Forestami.

Work on the “supersalone” is going full pelt, helmed by the curator Stefano Boeri, the international team of co-designers – Andrea Caputo, Maria Cristina Didero, Anniina Koivu, Lukas Wegwerth, Marco Ferrari and Elisa Pasqual of Studio Folder along with Giorgio Donà, co-founder and director of Stefano Boeri Interiors – and the entire staff of the Salone del Mobile.Milano.

423 brands from every product category, distributed in four pavilions, have responded to the appeal of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, convinced that the supersalone can become the symbol of a new rebirth. The protagonist will be an increasingly innovative product, able to respond adequately to the transformations of the contemporary social structure, to the rapid change of the furniture market and to the individual needs of each customer. The recognition of the importance and symbolic value of this supersalone will be confirmed by the presence of high governmental and institutional authorities, first of all the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella on the day of the inauguration.

As to circularity and sustainability, all the materials and components used in the installation have been devised to be dismantled and reused: the installation systems, which involve no loose components and reduced amounts of material, will be completely recovered. All the chipboard panels made from 100% recycled timber will go back into the production cycle. The same goes for the bricks used in The Lost Graduation Show installation – one of the special exhibitions of supersalone curated by Anniina Koivu, showcasing 170 projects from students who graduated between 2020 and 2021, from 48 design schools in 22 different countries in all five continents – which are all reusable; all the arenas, benches and seating will be “dry” mounted and can therefore be disassembled and used again at different times and in different contexts.

The exhibition Take Your Seat / Prendi Posizione – Solitude and Conviviality of the Chair / Solitudine e Convivialità della Sedia, curated by Nina Bassoli in partnership with ADI / Compasso d’Oro Award, will be another major highlight. Featuring 30 Compasso d’Oro award-winning chairs and more than 80 chairs that have gained honourable mentions ranged around the four “supersalone” pavilions, the exhibition will tell the story of the most iconic of all design objects, the chair, more capable of synthesising the value of good design than any other artefact.  

Devised by Maria Cristina Didero, the “supersalone” programme will be packed with conversations, talks and lectures by designers, architects, artists, scholars and managers from all over the world. The protagonists will endeavor to reply to a variety of questions on design, art, architecture, education, the circular economy, environmental impact, the relationship between project and curation and much more, in a series of dialogues and one man shows. Among the famous names there will be: Humberto Campana, Bjarke Ingels, Carsten Höller, Beatriz Colomina, Cecilia Alemani and Philippe Malouin. There will be three fixed appointments every day: round tables at 12pm, talks at 3pm and lectures at 5pm. In addition to these events and in collaboration with the Milano Design Film Festival, every day at 4pm studies, biopics and docufilms will allow for crosscutting insight into design, architecture and the current social and sustainable implications. 

As per another well-established tradition being revived at this special September event, the Salone del Mobile will venture beyond the confines of the Rho Fairgrounds to underscore and valorize its deep ties with Milan and, in the spirit of increasing openness to the exchange and circulation of ideas, culture and creativity, will reinforce its dialogue with Triennale Milano, the city hub of “supersalone.” Triennale will be marking the occasion with Il Salone / La Città (The Salone / The City), an exhibition conceived by the Triennale Museum of Italian Design for the Salone del Mobile.Milano and curated by Mario Piazza. The exhibition will narrate the cultural events held in the city by the Salone that, over the years, have communicated design to its enthusiasts.

In this context, the mix of digital and in-person presence will make for a thoroughly engaging experience and allow those unable to be physically present to observe the exhibited products, visit the shows virtually and attend the talks and lectures. The Salone del Mobile.Milano platform has been designed to promote the design on exhibit with original content and medium-specific language, and to put the user at the centre of the event before, during and after their visit.