Back to the Vaults: The 2nd Edition of Ventura Centrale

Walking through the vaults of Ventura Centrale, visitors will discover different elements of contemporary design. From the rigorous technique applied by Far East leading manufactures to the tasty American design culture. From the craftsmanship of Italian and Swiss artisans to the merge between industry and design talent. From pushing the boundaries of materials to the critical and responsible role of the design world. We are proud to offer you a glimpse of the design spectacle that is waiting for you!

horgenglarus and Stephan Hürlemann

What happens when the oldest Swiss chair and table manufacturer and one of Switzerland’s most established designers team up? Wooden giants! The seven figures, up to three metres tall, in the installation ‘Riesen mit Zwerg’, or Giants with Dwarf, were built by architect and designer Stephan Hürlemann by using chair and table parts from the more than 100 years old component archive at manufacturer horgenglarus. Hürlemann left all the parts in the condition in which he found them and merely drilled holes so that they could be connected with cable ties. Individual limbs of the figures can be moved by pulleys. The wooden creatures faced against the background of the Ventura Centrale’s vault, create a playful and magic presentation. Hürlemann has also created this year's design of the beautiful Ventura Centrale entrance and press desk area.

AGC Asahi Glass


‘Sound’ will be at the core of the installation of the Japanese AGC Asahi Glass, the world-leading manufacturer for glass, chemicals and high-tech materials. The company found in the Ventura Centrale’s vaults the perfect location for a spacious and enchanting glass installation. This year's soundscape concept is to create a space that enables visitors to experience auditory phenomena in new ways, using sound-generating glass currently under development at AGC. Sounds emanate from transparent glass, providing entirely new sensations for the visitor. It will blend together design, technology and aesthetics. The Japanese up-and-coming architect Motosuke Mandai, whose work emphasizes the relationship between architecture and people, serves as a creative partner in this project.

Surface Magazine with David Rockwell


Halfway through your Ventura Centrale expedition you find a place to relax, munch and socialize. Surface Magazine invited architect David Rockwell, of the award-winning Rockwell Group and a selection of emerging and established American designers, including the design studio 2x4, to bring a new interpretation of the good old American Diner to Milan. The diner is an undisputed icon of American culture, a symbol of accessible food and entertainment, a supporting character in classic movies like Pulp Fiction and When Harry Met Sally. The exhibition marks the 25th anniversary of Surface Magazine, celebrated through this eye-thrilling eatery experience and a program full of Design Week events.

EILEEN FISHER 
curated by Edelkoort Exhibitions


‘WASTE NO MORE’ is a thought-provoking fusion of design, textile and activism by applauded fashion brand EILEEN FISHER. Its latest initiative DesignWork exemplifies the company’s dedication to challenging the ways of the fashion industry. “Textiles and apparel have a huge environmental impact and our industry’s current model is unsustainable. We’re making more and more stuff. And after each season, we toss out the old and move onto what’s next,” Fisher explains. This mountain of used and unsold garments are given a new life in the form of wall hangings, upholstery and accessories. Curators Li Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano picked the Ventura Centrale vault as the perfect setting for this temple of sustainability - critiquing consumption and shining a light on the emerging circular economy. The zero-waste works have been developed by long-time collaborator and artist Sigi Ahl.

Fabrica

Fabrica is a communication research centre based in Treviso and part of the Benetton Group, that aims to inspire young and social entrepreneurs and creative minds. One such Fabrica designer is Sam Baron. For the Ventura Centrale exhibition Fabrica is working together with Pierre Frey in the context of the Reciprocity Design Liège triennial. 'Paradigm' is a multidimensional visual journey questioning the role of the image within the contemporary design process. The photogenic quality of the object can't be ignored within this process. The image is moving from mood-board to mood-board, from context to context, creating an aesthetic feedback loop. If the image becomes more valuable than the object itself, why make anything physical in the first place? Those are the questions asked in a series of installations that blur the boundaries between the object and its representation.

Editamateria with Antonio Aricò


The Italian creative brand Editamateria’s goal is to bring together artisans and designers to advertise the contemporary power of Italian craftsmanship. It is not the first time that Editamateria and Antonio Aricò join forces. This year they welcome us into a real Italian room – una stanza, a place where the relationship between man and his objects becomes visible. The furniture collection by Aricò becomes a metaphor for human activities and emotions, for the Italian esprit, like un fratino (a table) that symbolises a break of labour or uno scrittoio (a desk) that enables to think and create. For the solid wood collection, Antonio Aricò draws inspiration from the Mediterranean culture, the Italian roots and traditions. The pieces are sculpted out of ever-present materials and offer a peek into an intimate and sophisticated vita Italiana.

Baars & Bloemhoff


In 2018 Baars & Bloemhoff will be back in the Ventura Centrale vaults. For Transitions III: Experimental Inventiveness, six leading Dutch design studios were invited to work their magic with the company’s extensive materials collection. Bart Joachim van Uden, Christian Heikoop, Floris Wubben, Job van der Berg, Mae Engelgeer and Studio Truly Truly will show the public startling techniques, applications and combinations. After months of sniffing and exploring the rich archive, the studios are ready to show their personal material explorations with new work and exciting adaptations and variations of existing work. The set director of the exhibition will be Harm Rensink, known for his expertise in spatial design experiences.

Nitto


As soon as you walk into the exhibition of Japanese brand Nitto, you will be hit by a wall of colour. HARU stuck- on design shows you ‘Bring color into your life’, a series of colourful adhesive tapes offering a new way of styling space. Three different materials are on display: washi tape, soft glossy PET tape and transparent OPP tape. Washi is a centuries old traditional Japanese type of matte finished and soft textured paper, rising in popularity outside of its borders. The combinations of different colours, patterns and textures offer many mix-and-match possibilities for creative souls... The result is a beautiful installation that is the last in the series to brighten-up Ventura Centrale!

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Ventura Centrale
2nd edition - 17-22 April 2018

Location:

Via Ferrante Aporti 9, 20125, Milano, Italy

General opening hours:

10am-8pm Tuesday 17 April - Saturday 21 April
10am-6pm Sunday 22 April