Another emphasis that has been placed this year, both within the fair spaces and beyond, is that of the dimension of intangibility. How would you define the intangible component of design, and what is its value? 

We must consider that, in the past, design was only tangible. Today, it consists of both a tangible and an intangible part, in the sense that the virtual element has entered our way of living, working, thinking, and experiencing. However, this should not alarm us. Artificial intelligence must help us work better, without replacing human intelligence, but rather guided by it. Therefore, this intangibility, which is strongly linked to technology, must accompany the new way of designing and speed up processes, instead of competing with the old way of designing. Thus, this concept of design – which is not a matter of making a piece of furniture, but rather of design that becomes thought – is an extremely important element. In fact, a winning concept, namely an intangible thought, is the basis of a good project.

What are the responsabilities of today's designers?

A designer who can truly be considered conjugated in the present time must deal with responsible projects. Today, designing means taking into account all the new demands, sociocultural changes, and design as an expression of the evolution of our historical period. I believe that working responsibly today does not only mean using organic materials. Today, you can be contemporary only if you work on research and innovation, not so much in terms of forms, but in terms of a more complex process that ranges from the use of materials to technologies, production systems, and so on. We must also consider that today’s audience is more attentive, increasingly likes to personalize their own home, and tends to avoid pre-packaged models. This responsibility is what, in my opinion, makes a contemporary project.

Given the premises, what do you expect from this Design Week? And what do you wish for from it?

I perceive much excitement, “effervescence” in a way, and a desire to do and innovate. Therefore, I expect a Salone and Fuorisalone – two assets that now rightfully belong to the city of Milan – defined by serious, precise, and concrete projects. Alongside the projects, there are also events, presentations, and cocktail parties, which are equally important because behind this beautiful exterior image of what happens during Design Week, there is an extremely solid construction of companies that work all year round and need to progress. And they do so also through the social situations that saturate the Milanese calendar during this week.

I also expect that this year there will be a particular focus on quality. Milan is the capital of design, it has been for some time now, and by virtue of this title, hundreds of thousands of people visit the city every year. But we also need to maintain the quality of design to keep people looking for new design landscapes here. From this point of view, I predict that many companies will present not only ideas but also concrete projects, tangible substance of material quality and intangible substance of the quality of ideas.

In past editions we have seen you involved in various initiatives. Where will we see you this year?

This year I have a very busy schedule, starting with Cappellini, where in addition to presenting the 2024 collection inside the showroom, we will host an exhibition dedicated to Mark Newson and his design history. He actually started within our laboratory, and there is a deep friendship and collaboration between Cappellini and Newson that we intend to celebrate with this exhibition. As for the presentation of the new collection, it will feature the participation of some historic names such as Nendo and Barber Osgerby, along with new design talents from various parts of the world.

Another initiative that involves me is the staging of the celebratory exhibition for Technogym’s forty years at the company’s showroom in Via Durini. It will be titled Design to Move and, within the framework of Salone del Mobile, will present forty exercise benches designed by as many artists from around the world – among them, Patricia Urquiola, Piero Lissoni, and Philippe Starck – or emerging young talents. These will be unique pieces, which will eventually be auctioned off for charity.

For Eataly, I will be working on a culinary installation, where food will be treated and presented as a true work of art. At the former Teatro Smeraldo in Milan, a suspended modular artwork will provide the theatrical backdrop for a performance featuring everyday foods, in an ode of synthesis to food, design, and architecture. After all, I myself consider food to be one of the primary cultural forms of every people and civilization, and – it is no coincidence – the installation will be called Food, Design, Happiness.

At the University of Milan, I have designed a series of outdoor tapestries, produced with the involvement of the young community of San Patrignano, and created semi-columns intended to partially cover the entrance columns of the university building, thus crafting a contrast between the ancient capitals of the old columns and the extremely modern decorative bases.

Finally, with Flaminia, the ceramic company of which I oversee the creative direction, we have designed an exhibition dedicated to Oki Sato’s design firm Nendo, titled Nendo in the Stars, which celebrates both the collaboration between the Japanese designer and the company, and the presentation of the new collection. I will also have some other initiatives here and there, but this is already a good list.

In your personal reinterpretation of design, what would you say are the hallmarks of your style?

When asked what my style is, I – jokingly – respond with “chaos”. In the sense that I like to mix, and I also see a trend that is gaining ground of mingling different products, designed by different individuals, created in different eras, and by companies located in different parts of the world. And, in the midst of these contrasts, try to create the right balances. Then, beyond any interpretation of style, the home must still represent yourself: it cannot be a pre-packaged file.

I can cite the example of Residenza Cappellini, a project I worked on in New York, in collaboration with an American architect. In this case, I mixed current Cappellini products with designs of the past, with others devoid of any signature, and therefore anonymous, and then, again, objects of great value with others of lesser value. I wanted to create a home where people would live with pleasure because the home is, first and foremost, a place that must reflect our personality, where we feel good and comfortable. And that, to those who come to visit us, tells something about us. Then, if it also becomes a beautiful place to show off, even better.

Located in an extremely unique building, with a view of Manhattan, Residenza Cappellini has very calibrated interiors and rooms with neutral structures, where the customization of the various spaces is given by the presence of mixed objects, often found in flea markets scattered around the city. So, what does Residenza Cappellini represent? The freedom to live as we like, and in this particular case, to live as I think, how I like to live, and, of course, to inhabit.