Local Milan

At the top of our list for this year’s Milan design week, Salone del Mobile, was the Local Milan exhibition featuring the work of 26 Australian designers.

Curated by Emma Elizabeth of Local Design, this was the third year the exhibition has taken place, and was the largest showcase of independent Australian design in Milan. Knowing Local Design and the calibre of the designers involved, our expectations were high. Yet, from the moment we found our way up the staircase and into the first room of the beautiful old Milanese apartment that housed the exhibition, it was clear even these expectations would be eclipsed.

Located in the vibrant 5vie district, the apartment setting meant the exhibition unfolded room by room, with each small, richly-coloured room drawing you into the next. The domestic context did not give way to a typical living-room style of exhibition, however, instead curated more as art installation than interior design exhibit. Reflective of Emma Elizabeth’s cross-disciplinary approach to design, each of the pieces on display pushed the boundaries of its chosen form – a table, light, cabinet or chair becoming not just a beautiful functional object, but a medium for artistic expression. While each of the more than 30 designs in the exhibition had in common a sculptural quality, they were nonetheless strikingly individual. In the first room alone, Nicholas Fuller’s woven ‘Voyage Partitions’ and shared the space with Skeehan Studio’s ‘Vane’ chair and ‘SO’ lamp, the ‘Bloom Cabinet’ by Adam Goodrum and Arthur Seigneur, ‘Peacock Chiclid (Fish)’ rug by Emma Elizabeth and ‘Piece of Pie’ table and ‘Ouroboros’ chair by Jonathan Zawad. Against the peeling dark blue walls and scarred dark timber floor of the palazzo, each piece confidently introduced the inspiring breadth and innovation of contemporary Australian design.

Despite the strong individuality of the pieces, viewed as a whole the exhibition showed an underlying common interest in curved lines and forms. The striking circular ‘Bloom’ cabinet, the exaggerated curves of Jonathan Zawad’s abstract chair upholstered in green and blue and the tubular steel frame of the ‘Vane’ chair – each of these pieces in the first room worked with rounded shapes and curves in its own way. In the heart of the exhibition, Fred Ganim’s ‘Plane Table’ took this to another level, its undulating form and long, low profile creating a snake-like geometry of twists and turns. Moving through the exhibition, one discovered that each room was painted a different colour, creating not only a unique atmosphere in each space, but a layered effect as glimpses of colour appeared through open doorways or reflected back in mirrors. In some cases, the designers had clearly responded to the colour of their particular room, leading to a pleasing sense of continuity between the old Milanese palazzo and the contemporary design pieces hailing from the other side of the world.

Sagitine’s ‘Sydney’ and ‘Sydney 30’ box stands, displayed alongside Hava Studio’s ‘Everything is Golden’ mirror, were shown in limited edition colours that referenced the primary blue and yellow palette of the space. Crystal and verdigris lighting by Christopher Boots also picked up the colours of the room, and the palazzo’s atmosphere of crumbling opulence enhanced the luxurious yet raw nature of the materials. In the centre of the exhibition, deep red walls served to highlight A.C.V Studio’s ‘Brass Sculptures of Free Use’, which hung above the ‘Innate’ blackwood furniture collection by Jon Goulder. An unusual method of using vinegar to ‘pickle’ the wood enhanced the natural grain and depth of colour, resulting in smooth, sculptural pieces whose simplicity allowed the beauty of the timber to shine.

Viewed from this central room, the armchair from Ross Gardam’s ‘Noon’ collection sat framed by a doorway. Set against a burnished gold wall and lit by the natural light from a window behind, the elegant curved forms and combination of Kvadrat textile and Maharam leather upholstery made a distinctive graphic impression. Fred Ganim’s ‘Timber Rack’ on the wall above echoed the geometry of the ‘Plane Table’ in the central red room preceding, linking the rooms visually.

With more incredible work than is possible to cover in detail here, Local Milan No. 3 was not only an exciting moment for the Australian design community, but a highlight of one of the biggest weeks of the year in design. Curating exhibitions of some of our most innovative designers during Milan design week three times now, Local Design are creating a legacy and a way forward for Australian design internationally.