Exhibitions and events to see at Milan design week 2024

British designer Faye Toogood showcases ‘Rude’, her mischievous new rug collection at the CC-Tapis showroom, as well as space-age furniture designed for Tacchini – a highlight of which is the ‘Cosmic’ chair (pictured), a piece that is sure to be a talking point for all the right reasons! cc-tapis.com

British designer and founder of the Memphis design movement George Sowden will this year be using his permanent Milanese base, 44Spazio, to showcase pieces by international designers who are working closely with small industrial and artisan manufacturers. Among the designs on display will be his own, typically colourful chair, the ‘Sowden Club’ (pictured), produced at the SCP upholstery factory in Norfolk. sowden.it

You may be dubious if directed to visit a disused parking garage but, trust us, this venue by Mosca Partners on Viale Gorizia in the Darsena district will be one of the most talked about. Pass through the painted panels by Nathalie du Pasquier and you will find a landscape of hemp bricks (pictured) by Park Associati, populated with installations by talents such as new British brand Tamart – founded by architect Amos Goldreich and dedicated to the mid-century designs of his parents, it’s one not to be missed. moscapartners.it

Embrace your inner child at this showcase of Swiss talent, where swings, ladders and seesaws encourage visitors to take part in its theme: joy. There’s work by Swiss designers Hannes & Fritz for Hay and Vero on display (including ‘Weekday’, pictured), as well as Big-Game’s new range for Karimoku. Explore the first floor of its venue, Casa degli Artisti, to find work from emerging talents – Scheidegger Pauli’s ‘Vidy’ chair will be a highlight. design.swiss

Founder and owner Nina Yashar (pictured) has curated the works under the theme ‘Time Traveller’, selecting pieces that weave together ‘the cutting-edge works of contemporary talents with the enduring masterpieces by design legends of the past’. Over the sprawling ground floor, visitors will be welcomed by Argentinian digital artist-designer Andrés Reisinger’s (also pictured) ‘Twelve Chairs for Meditation’. Don’t expect the chairs to look anything like his viral ‘Hortensia’ for Moooi, though; these sculptural beauties are solid, no-nonsense pieces that reflect his changing style. nilufar.com

Remember Tom Dixon’s limited-edition aluminium ‘Hydro’ chair? Or Lars Beller Fjetland’s ‘Bello!’ bench? Well, the Norwegian company behind those pieces has teamed up with seven eminent designers to present new aluminium works in an exhibition called ‘100R’ at Spazio Maiocchi. Brits Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin and John Tree join Inga Sempé, Andreas Engesvik, Shane Schneck and Rachel Griffin in showing works made of the brand’s latest material: ‘Circal 100R’, dubbed ‘the world’s first recycled aluminium made entirely from post-consumer scrap on an industrial scale’. hydro.com

After something a little more interactive?A t the Palazzo Clerici – home to some of Milan’s most impressive frescoes – Porsche and the design collective Numen/For Use invite you to climb and explore the hammock-like structure, which is part of ‘The Art of Dreams’ event. Comprised of metal frames and netting, the installation is designed to look like a floating landscape, and is inspired by the ‘Pepita’ houndstooth pattern first used on the seats of the ‘356 C, 911’ Porsche. A limited furniture collection by Vitra for the automaker will also be unveiled. porsche.com

Remember the first time you decorated your room in student halls? Or the feeling of hanging new curtains in your first rented flat? Ikea is taking you right back to that moment with this exhibition at Visconti Pavilion exploring the firsts that younger generations experience when they move out and begin designing places to call home. Throughout the week, the Swedish furniture giant will run a programme that includes new product launches, music and events focused on the concept of ‘first time’. ikea.com

To celebrate the anniversary of Michael Anastassiades’s iconic lighting design, the man himself has been working on new additions to the range (including floor, suspension and table lamps, available to buy from June) featuring spheres with a super-sized diameter of 45 centimetres. They will be on display for the first time in the window of Flos’s flagship Milan showroom and also at Palazzo Visconti during. It’s not a celebration without a little glitz, though, so as well as the new sizes, Anastassiades has launched the ‘IC’ in 24-carat gold! flos.com

Off the back of a successful launch last year, the luxury digital design retailer Artemest is back again with its much-anticipated apartment renovation project, which sees six international interior-design practices create a vignette of a room within a special Milan location: Residenza Vignale, a residence in the 5Vie design district that was built at the turn of the 20th century. A must-see is Elicyon founder Charu Gandhi’s cocktail room (sketch pictured), which is designed to feel ‘inviting and invigorating (much like an excellent cocktail). artemest.com

A manifesto for architectural exploration and research, this installation located in Peer’s Milan studio on Via Privata Rezia is a collaboration with the stone experts at Belgian brand Van Den Weghe. Featuring totemic sculptures honed from travertine, it shows the possibilities of this natural material, taking inspiration from fellow architect Peter Eisenman’s ‘House IV’ concept from 1975, where a simple cube is cut, extended and rotated to show the genesis of a home. hannespeer.com; vandenweghe.be

Stop by this arresting pop-up installation, by Diesel Living and Moroso at Brera Site, to see the two brands’ ‘Puff-D’ chair (pictured). The design is nostalgic and contemporary, with its inflated shape and creased upholstery. Clad in the brand’s signature red hue, the soft seat embodies Diesel’s youthful spirit. moroso.it

Part fair, part collective exhibition, Capsule Plaza is taking over the Spazio Maiocchi – a striking industrial cathedral in the Porta Venezia area – to bring together designers and brands from all over the world. Among the highlights will be Poltronova, celebrating 60 years of its ‘Saratoga’ sofa by Massimo and Lella Vignelli. To mark the occasion, the brand has enlisted in-demand designer Harry Nuriev to create a revamped version. The festival will also take over the renovated and super-edgy concept store ‘10 Corso Como’ (pictured), where an immersive Verner Panton experience, in collaboration with the designer’s estate, will be taking place. capsule.global