Milan’s Salone del Mobile has grown exponentially over the last 30 years, cultivating a cultural kermesse that puts design on display from all over the world.
Among the countless participants in this year’s upcoming edition, the Brazilians are busy at work preparing for their biggest show to date, and quite possibly one of the most important shows of 2018. The latest in Brazilian design marks a new record for both the number of exhibitors as well as for the variety of work on display.
Locations like the Paola Colombari Gallery will showcase Ronal Scliar Sassoon in the Maroncelli District — now part of the Porta Nuova Garibaldi area that has developed into Milan’s pseudo-Soho — while exhibits like the Rio + Design Milano celebrate 10 years at Milan Design Week with the creative industry of Rio de Janiero.
Along the way, countless demonstrations of South American innovation are sprawled throughout the city — let’s take a look.
Design Behind The Pencil
The roots of Brazilian design have always been influenced by the strong traditions and varied cultures in close contact with surrounding nature. The latest exhibit curated by Paola Colombari sees the avant-garde trendsetter of Art Design teaming up with Neia Paz to present Ronald Scliar Sassoon for the first time in Italy.
Among the pieces on display are the Maas armchair, echoing 1920’s expressionism, the interwoven Kansai bench, and the Marquesa de Santo chair.
Rio + Design Milano 2018
The creative industry of Rio de Janiero celebrates 10 years in Milan’s Salone del Mobile with an exhibit in the Be Brasil project among art galleries and fashion studios in Via Maroncelli.
Nearly 30 creations from 14 design studios, both new and old, will present furnishings, decor, and everyday objects to complete the “Made in Rio” panorama.
Veteran designer with Rio + Design, Carlos Alcantarino will exhibit the wooden Lov chair — a contemporary reinterpretation of the rocking chair the designer calls a product of emotional memory.
Guto Indio da Costa shows up with his first collection of wooden chairs and the Serelepe models, while Zanini de Zanine brings the Serfa armchair and ottoman in wood and leather (below). Gisela Simas makes an appearance with the Dora table, a surprising finished product in cork, along with the innovative ceiling lamp Congonhas.
Worth mentioning is the Répiauer bottle opener by Gustavo Falcão, made with recycled materials. Meanwhile, Renata Pereira of Oficina 021 signs off on a line of laser cut acrylic table lamps inspired by the landscapes of Rio de Janiero.
Brazil S / A OFF
Over the last eight years, the Brazil S / A OFF has been a consistent crowd pleaser at Milan’s Fuorisalone. This year, the exhibit will take place for the first time in the Bianca Maria Palace Hotel, gathering a collection of iconic pieces and exclusive work from 15 Brazilian designers. Ronald Sasson, Sergio Matos, Juliano Guidi, Henrique Steyer and Ines Schertel are just a few of the names to present a combination of craftsmanship, technology, sustainability for dynamic results capable of representing the art and culture of their country.
Brazil S/A's retrospective
A recap bringing back the Brazilians’ most interesting design from past editions had to feature Ronald Sasson, with 2015’s Zózimo: an armchair in copper and brass made of two geometric pieces unified in the form of Japanese origami.
Meanwhile, a look back at Juliano Guidi’s 2015 Story bench reveals new beauty through the wood scraps used to create the one of a kind “sculptures”.
Making a return in the same exhibit, Paula Sertório and Victor Paixão from the architecture collective, PAX.ARQ, present the Bombo Bench (below). Constructed in recycled wood, the seat flaunts wooden slats strapped in nylon around a hollow volume.
Among the Brazilian barrage of design at Fuorisalone 2018, Alê Jordão’s Bullet chair shows every crack in polished stainless steel.
Elsewhere, duo Flavio Borsato and Maurício Lamosa of Estudiobola exhibit the Luisa chair in freijó wood with natural tones and finishes in leather and fabric. Natural wool, renewable, biodegradable, and completely sustainable, Ines Schertel presents her passion for “slow design” with Violetta, a wood stool with rustic felt.
Flashy lights come in the form of Henrique Steyer’s suspended metal and gold Monkey Chandelier (below), in honor of the Brazilian fauna under the threat of extinction.
ESSENZA by ETEL
Etel will participate in Milan’s Fuorisalone 2018 for the first time with their collection of furnishings created by modern and contemporary designers, among which are stunning re-editions from Lina Bo Bardi.
For this year’s edition, Superluna Studio will present Essenza, an immersive installation in Via Maroncelli exploring the vast Xylotheque of precious tropical woods and the complex woodworking techniques according to tradition.
Sergio Rodrigues for Linbrasil
For the third consecutive year, the iconic collections of Sergio Rodrigues will return to Milan for the big occasion. Diffusing the history and philosophy of the great Brazilian designer, the exhibit is a phenomenal opportunity to discover the classic and fresh lines representing Brazilian tradition through a warm material like wood. The art gallery in Maroncelli 12 boasts an unusual design, dedicated to two protagonists: the Oscar chair (below), after the legendary Oscar Niemeyer, and the Diz chair, the perfect combination of sculpture and ergonomics.
Opening Photo: TRADITION AND INNOVATION MEET MOTHER NATURE AND EXTRAORDINARY CRAFTSMANSHIP — BRAZIL MAKES THEIR MARK AT THE SALONE DEL MOBILE
