If you’re reading this, you’re most likely revved up and ready to tear around Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile.Milano and Furiosalone, that is). Aren’t you? A mere glance at your schedule—probably a kind of administrative lasagna layered with overlapping previews, clashing cocktail openings, and back-to-back appointments on opposite sides of the city—is giving you more anxiety than watching that friend who cuts their pasta with a knife. We get it. 

While we can’t help you conquer your Design Week schedule (though we do advise a “go slow to go fast” approach, exercising selective attention to ensure you actually engage with what you’re seeing), we can, at least, give you a few more things to add to it! From “deep-dive” explorations of Italy’s artisanal identity at storied Milanese swimming pools to a never-before-seen curation of Andrea Branzi’s lamps to Italy Segreta’s own debut photo exhibition (and bespoke celebratory cocktails) at Camparino in Galleria, these projects and exhibits will change the way you engage with design across architecture, interiors, photography, art, and more.

How Italy Feels Photo Exhibition by Italy Segreta

April 20–26; Camparino in Galleria (P.za del Duomo, 21) 

It’s Italy, in a new light. Our first photobook, How Italy Feels: Through the Lens, Region by Region, is a visual journey through the country’s 20 regions, captured through the intimate lens of 20 independent photographers who deeply understand these landscapes. The 288-page volume explores Italy as a complex palimpsest, shifting the narrative away from clichés to document ways of life from the Alpine north to the sunny south. 

During Milan Design Week, an accompanying photo exhibition curated inside Camparino in Galleria brings the book to life, with a focus on the sea. The show is an immersive escape into the light, sounds, and feelings of Italy, where you can almost touch the salsedine on your skin and hear the hum of summer cicadas.

Camparino in Galleria is not only the heart of Milan’s aperitivo culture, but a destination buzzing with everyone who knows what’s good during Design Week—the perfect place to enjoy a custom cocktail inspired by the book while celebrating Italy as you’ve never seen it before. Following a VIP preview on April 19th, the exhibition opens its doors at 6 PM that very day and welcomes the general public through April 26th. 

Salone Raritas at Salone del Mobile.Milano 

April 21–26; Pavilion 9, Rho Fiera Milano  

There’s nothing better than a Salone del Mobile debut, and this one has the design world buzzing. Enter the first edition of Salone Raritas, a new exhibition that puts limited-edition collectible design and artisanal production in dialogue with the global design market. Curated inside Pavilion 9 at the 64th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano (Rho Fiera), this glowing modular space showcases the likes of a new collection by Job Smeets, presented by Mouromtsev Design Editions; armchairs by Brazilian-based Mercado Moderno reflecting “tropical modernism”; and even antique marble sculptures from Brun Fine Art. Artisanal integrity shines through reimagined Murano glass, contemporary metalwork, and marble reimagined with new technologies in exhibits by Nilufar Gallery, Sabine Marcelis, Salviati x Draga & Aurel, and Matera. Curated by Annalisa Rosso, with exhibition architecture by Formafantasma, Salone Raritas functions as both an immersive laboratory and a collectible gallery—“a necessary bridge between the one-off designer piece and the global design market,” says Rosso. 

“Objects that Speak, a continued conversation with Andrea Branzi” by Rosewood Hotels

April 20–26; Via Carlo De Cristoforis, 1

Another Design Week debut! This year, Rosewood Hotels brings its worldly curatorial lens to Milan’s Porta Garibaldi zone with an exhibition paying homage to Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi (1938–2023). An evocative dialogue between art and design, this world-first curation showcases a selection of Branzi’s later works, including 15 of his signature domed lamps, alongside works by contemporary artists and designers featured at five Rosewood properties. These include Spanish artist and designer Jamie Hayon’s symbolic “Love Catcher”, a model of the eight-meter sculpture installed at Rosewood Villa Magna, and British visual artist Marc Quinn’s “Bonsai”, a bronze sculpture like the one at The Chancery Rosewood, London. 

At the forefront of Italy’s Radical design movement, Branzi was fundamental in laying the foundations for a postmodern design culture in which narrative, symbolism, and atmosphere were seen as being equally important as functionality. “Andrea Branzi showed us how design reflects the distinct culture of time and place. Rosewood uses that same insight when commissioning new work from designers around the world,” says the exhibition’s curator Deyan Sudjic, Director Emeritus of The Design Museum, who knew the designer for many years.

“Metamorphosis in Motion” by Lina Ghotmeh for MoscaPartners Variations

April 21–26; Palazzo Litta (Corso Magenta, 24)  

Every year, there are some exhibits that feel like stepping into an alternate universe; architectural spectacles that reimagine entire public spaces. This year, “Metamorphosis in Motion” by Lina Ghotmeh for MoscaPartners Variations is one of them. The first site-specific solo outdoor artwork in Italy by the Paris-based, Lebanese-born architect, this maze-like installation occupies the entire main courtyard at Palazzo Litta to explore themes of memory, space, and landscape. Described by Ghotmeh as a “playful labyrinth,” a wash of magenta and architectural geometry transforms the courtyard into a “living spatial ecosystem.” While there, explore the other MoscaPartners Variations exhibits spanning the gilded halls of this immaculate Lombard Baroque jewel, which is usually inaccessible to the public.

“Radical Home” by Memphis Milano, Gufram, and Meritalia®

April 21–26; Hall 22, Booth B30, Rho Fiera Milano

Is it even Design Week without a dose of Memphis Milano, Gufram, and Meritalia®? “Radical Home” is a joint installation by these three experimental brands of the Italian Radical Design Group. When the Salone circuit feels overwhelming, “Radical Home” reminds us that furniture can be irreverently enlightening, tinged with irony, humor, and joy. With pioneers like Ettore Sottsass, Studio 65, and Gaetano Pesce, these brands redefined furniture design through material experimentation, unconventional shapes, and conceptual inspiration ranging from art history to visual psychology.

In this year’s edition, Memphis Milano introduces a compact version of the Tawaraya Ring, a bed-sofa or “architectural stage” originally conceived by Japanese designer Masanori Umeda in 1981. Meritalia® presents Philippe Malouin’s new Scoop seating and new editions of Gaetano Pesce’s Edizioni del Pesce. And don’t miss an up-close encounter with Gufram’s limited-edition release of ANDY’S CACTUS®, a reimagined version of the brand’s eccentric 1972 cactus sculpture made in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation.

“OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER” by 6:AM 

April 20–26; Piscina Romano (Via Giuseppe Zanoia, 2)  

Venture into the depths of Murano glass at Piscina Romano, the storied Milanese swimming pool that first opened in 1929. 6:AM, the creative duo known for redefining Murano glass through a fusion of traditional techniques and contemporary aesthetics, presents an installation in which the material is both an artisanal object and an architectural statement. Sculptural glass cubes become an architectural structure, framing a kaleidoscope of objects from 6:AM’s collections: lamps, lights, panels, and furniture, some presented in new colors and finishes. 

Inspired by the idea of repetition as an artisanal method, 6:AM’s Edoardo Pandolfo and Francesco Palù cast Murano glass as a “living” material capable of expressing both structure and freedom, tradition and contemporary exploration.

5VIE Design Week

April 20–26; Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci and select locations across the 5VIE district

A design week within a design week? That’s the fun of Fuorisalone. Themed “QoT: Qualia of Things”, this year’s 5VIE Design Week invites visitors to explore design as a sensory experience, bringing the natural world indoors and pushing interiors beyond conventional limits.

Furniture, ceramics, lighting, sculpture, and artistic hybrid objects are showcased through multisensory exhibitions at 5VIE’s main site, Le Cavallerizze at Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. Highlights include Marco Guazzini’s “Resonance”, curated by Maria Cristina Didero, a material-rich installation in which a “landscape” of objects is linked via a network of aluminum tubes; Sara Ricciardi Studio’s “ALMA WATER – La stanza del Mare”, a tactile and sonic environment where fabric and sound evoke the sea; and Giuditta Vettese’s “La fiamma che non Brucia”, a ritualistic spectacle of sculpture and water. Additionally, artistic collective Anotherview—the creators of those captivating 24-hour video “window frames”—returns to 5VIE Design Week with Trattoria Altra Vista. In this cinematic space, brutalist design inspires interactive furniture such as a nine-meter-long wooden “Vandal Table”, which explores ideas of collective creativity by inviting visitors to “scratch, carve, engrave and draw directly on its surface.” 

“Soft Matters” by Secolo + TABLEAU 

April 20–26; Secolo showroom (Via Giacosa, 35)

Collaborations between Italian design brands and international studios promote a new vision of “Made in Italy” based on innovative, cross-cultural conversation. This year, Italian contemporary design brand Secolo unveils its first external collaboration with Danish multidisciplinary design studio TABLEAU, presenting a collection of new furniture pieces curated as part of the installation “Soft Matters”. The brand’s playful, metal-topped Pingu Side Table, for example, becomes a compact canvas for TABLEAU’s artistic “takeover”—reimagined with organic floral patterns that echo an almost childlike creative spontaneity. 

With a refined sculptural aesthetic and an emphasis on purity of materials (Alpi marble, lacquered wood, bouclé, and brass are among Secolo’s extensive material repertoire), Secolo’s progressive design ethos also finds form in the new Plumea armchair, presented as part of the showroom installation. Inspired by “the world of dreams”, this object contrasts softness and structure; a pillow-like upholstered seat and backrest are enclosed in a high-gloss lacquered frame. Collapsing into this armchair after a full day of Salone appointments? A dream, indeed.

“Nilufar Grand Hotel” and “La Casa Magica” by Nilufar Gallery

April 20–26; Nilufar Depot (Viale Lancetti, 34) and Nilufar Gallery (Via della Spiga, 32)

What does it take to crown people’s “Must See” Design Week lists year after year? That’s a question for Nilufar Gallery’s founder, Nina Yashar—although she’ll probably tell you it’s simply a matter of personal taste. This year, the gallery presents “Nilufar Grand Hotel”, a narrative-led experience that reimagines the gallery’s Depot spaces as a cinematic hotel environment with an entryway, hall, dining room, and upper floors. Each space showcases a curation of vintage and contemporary collectible design from a multicultural lineup of designers, including Andrea Mancuso, Gal Gaon, and George Nakashima. Take your time to discover the project’s signature bedrooms, three intimate “capsule projects” dreamed up by designers david/nicolas, Filippo Carandini, and Allegra Hicks.

Meanwhile, at Nilufar Gallery’s Via della Spiga location, “La Casa Magica” explores the home as a protective, symbolic space. A curation of artisanal pieces from designers including Anita Morvillo, Flora Lechner, Davide Monaldi, and Etienne Marc is transformed from collectible design objects into talismans that reflect rituals and collect stories; devices, the Gallery says, that are “not simple folkloric quotation or ethnographic reference, but also contemporary techniques of re-enchanting inhabited space.”

“Insieme” curated by Sabato De Sarno, presented by Vanity Fair Italia

April 21-26; Piscina Cozzi (Viale Tunisia, 35)

In his latest curatorial project, Sabato De Sarno (Gucci’s former Creative Director) shines a spotlight on the human hand, celebrating the gestures and processes of artisanal creation rather than the finished product itself. Curated inside Piscina Cozzi as part of the Porta Venezia Design District program, “Insieme” is perhaps more of an experiential laboratory than an exhibition. De Sarno seeks to immerse visitors in the stories of Italian master artisans and craftspeople, illuminating the unseen elements that go into crafting luxury artisanal objects for some of Italy’s most coveted luxury brands and heritage houses, including Venini, Rubelli, Glas Italia, and Bonacina. 

“Before objects, there are people, their time, and their knowledge,” De Sarno said. “I wanted to give space to those who create beauty every day, without anyone seeing it. In a world that’s speeding ahead, ‘Insieme’ chooses to pause, to look at the origin of every object: the hand, the light, the presence.” From textiles to glassmaking, from metalwork to marblework and ceramics, “Insieme” reframes the idea of “luxury” as something defined by the integrity of the human handwork that brings it to life.

“The Factory of Light” by Aesop

April 21-26; Chiesa del Carmine (P.za del Carmine)

Like it or not, Italian churches are increasingly being transformed into evocative settings for art, design, and cultural showcases. Aesop returns to Chiesa del Carmine for its third consecutive project at Milan Design Week, with a tactile experience that explores light through the lens of craftsmanship. So, what’s new? Designed by Australian architect Rodeny Eggleston of March Studio, “The Factory of Light” spans the church’s 17th-century courtyard and sacristy, setting the scene for the unveiling of Aesop’s first trio of lamps. No, not lamps for your skin. Lamps for your table, in fact. After journeying through an architectural maze of towering tarps and repurposed scaffolding that resemble the workings of a historical restoration, you encounter the four stages of the lamps’ creation process: brass casting, brass spinning, glass blowing, and final assembly. 

While history and culture buffs might be a little preoccupied with the sacristy’s wooden walls carved by master woodcarver Giovanni Quadrio in the 17th century, most visitors will have their gaze fixed on the debut lamp designs, which are presented within “an undulating landscape” of 10,000 recycled glass bottles.  

More from our circuit 

We know your agenda is in a state of shock by now. We’ll wrap up with a few quick mentions of other top picks in our circuit, particularly if you’re hitting Design Week with a group of discerning (…fussy?) friends and everyone wants to see something different. 

For collectible design devotees: RoCollectible at Rossana Orlandi Gallery and L’Appartamento by Artemest at Palazzo Donizetti. 

For an instant mood boost: “Serotonin – the chemistry of happiness”, an installation by Sara Ricciardi in the Loggia of the Pinacoteca di Brera, and MCM’s “Disco on Mars”, designed by Atelier Biagetti at Rotonda del Pellegrini.

For a trip down memory lane: Palazzo Olivazzi, the storied address in Via Bigli that counts Albert Einstein among its historical residents, opens its doors for a special look inside an apartment designed by Osvaldo Borsani, which, this year, is the subject of a design takeover by Interni Venosta. Triennale Milano hosts “In the space of a century. Rai Pubblicità, 100 years of history and beyond”, an exhibition dedicated to a century of Rai radio and television advertising. 

For a global voyage via exploratory design: Alcova and BASE Milano

For an essentially Milanese design edit: Explore 10 Corso Como’s gallery, project room, and secret garden, which host a series of collaborations and exhibits featuring the likes of Moncler, KINRADEN, and Garage Italia Customs. Here, you can also discover the installation “SONNAMBULO LUCIDO” by Milan-based design collective Imperfettolab.  

For a touch of fantasy: High jewellery and silverware house Buccellati presents its mythological-inspired installation “Aquae Mirabiles”, created in collaboration with British artist Luke Edward Hall. Ever fantasized about being submerged in the narrative history of Italian caviar, while surrounded by some of the finest glimmering Italian silverware? A feast for the eyes. 

For never-before-seen lights: Superstudio Design dazzles with lighting-based exhibits across three venues, while a stroll through San Babila and the Brera Design District showcases collections by coveted Italian lighting brands, including Flos, Artemide, and Foscarini. Nearby, a debut lighting project by So–le Studio, developed in collaboration with Bottega Ghianda, will be unveiled inside the brand’s boutique at Portrait Milano.

For a vibrant cultural takeover: The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation takes over Brera’s Palazzo Citterio with “When Apricots Blossom”, an exhibition experience that pays homage to the material language of Uzbekistan and its regions. A strikingly colored tapestry adorns the palazzo’s facade, crafted for the exhibition by British designer Bethan Laura Wood in collaboration with Uzbek artisans.

For a spontaneous city tour: INTERNI’s “MATERIAE” exhibition takes over five locations across the city, serving as a cultural platform for immersive projects at sites including Università degli Studi di Milano, Orto Botanico di Brera, and Eataly Milano Smeraldo.