Fuorisalone digital. Sustainability, circular economy and technology

Design doesn’t stop just because times are tough, it explores new territories, thanks to digital technologies that make interactive exchange possible without physically moving in a world still strongly conditioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. So, instead of a complete no-show, what we’re seeing is the start of an era marked by responsibility, opening new horizons for an increasingly connected, holistic design. This is what is coming through with the initiatives of the Fuorisalone and Milan Design Week that are responding to the “new normal” with innovative formats for users to enjoy with awareness.  
One of these is Tortona Rocks #5, a project by Milano Space Makers, which will take us on a tour of the world of design, without entering the post-industrial spaces of Opificio 31 and the redeveloped architecture in the Tortona district of Milan, which we are so fond of visiting. This year’s alternative is a capsule edition - DESIGN THROUGH – which enables visitors to digitally experience lots of significant themes that stimulate discussion about contemporary design. 
The event curators have abandoned the physical form of installation and set-up, using alternative languages to get their message across. These include videos, webinars and online launches of new collections, which have an even greater reach to an international audience than what we were accustomed to seeing in Milan to celebrate design. The virtual visitors will, therefore, be involved in a large hypertext, with explorations and unique documents that, like an on-demand channel, will be accessible at any time. 
The selection of projects that Tortona Rocks is presenting at the digital Fuorisalone is a journey through manufacturing, circular economy, sustainability and technology to show how design crosses a range of disciplinary barriers and produces solutions where knowledge converges. At the same time, they also present alternative, innovative proposals to restore the relationship between man and nature. Indeed, the creation of sustainable experiences is a complex process that requires cross-fertilisation of disciplines, where design acts as a bridge to reflect on how to make our society responsible.
The exhibition includes furniture design by Norwegian Presence with a new aesthetic of sustainability based around the circular economy, focusing their collection on long-lasting, attractive pieces. The young creatives of the trans-European Worth Partnership Project instead experiment with new materials and digital innovation. Bamboo is the star of Weaving Forest, a set of new furnishing modules by Tot Guard in collaboration with Pinwu. Mentemano shares a collection of furnishings featuring a standout architectural matrix, while the co-design project called The Playful Living investigates products and services for the family system.
You can sit back and relax as you enjoy the extra content and webinars of DESIGN THROUGH by Tortona Rocks #5 at home on the official site: https://www.tortona.rocks/.

Christiane Bürklein

Fuorisalone digital - Tortona Rocks #5 by Milano Space Makers
15 - 21 June 2020
Images: courtesy of Tortona Rocks #5, see captions
Foto 1-3, Montemano
Foto 3-5, Norwegian Presence
Find out more: https://www.tortona.rocks/