5VIE Design District , a cascade of projects and a delicate, lofty theme bordering on philosophical concepts. This year's edition, ready to kick off during the Fuorisalone , already scheduled for April 20th to 26th, responds to the title QoT - Qualia of Things . " Qualia are the subjective and qualitative aspects of conscious experiences," explained Emanuele Tessarolo, co-founder of the district. "They are private experiences, indescribable physically, and they constitute the difficult problem of consciousness," he added. Thus, the main theme of this event contrasts with the contemporary IoT - Internet of Things, shifting the focus from the connectivity of devices to the ability of objects to forge relationships with us, who we look at, who we bond (even) emotionally with. And this is how emotions, private and subjective, are born. With this in mind, the historic downtown neighborhood not far from the Madonnina and the Navigli remains faithful to the idea that design can still write the identity card of life, preserving the extraordinary human perception. This is an important and urgent reflection, distancing itself from a world that rests in the hands of a mostly technological and biological evolution, subordinated to calculations and algorithms that ignore the capacity for surprise or emotion. If this is the framework, the projects we'll see in a month still believe in a precious human dimension. Here they are.
5VIE District: Where to Go
5VIE confirms its three main hubs: Cavallerizze , Via Olona 4, at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology; Via Cesare Correnti 14, in the historic building that has been the district's headquarters for numerous years; and SIAM - Società di Incoraggiamento d'Arti e Mestieri, Via Santa Marta 18. These three addresses—so-called headquarters —hold together the system and the network and provide space for numerous designers, artisans, and artists (both established and emerging) from around the world or already based in Milan to share their experiences and confirm collaborations with the district or launch new ones. Beyond these three urban hubs, there are art galleries, the Church of San Bernardino alle Monache, workshops, and showrooms. Among these, we highlight the La Boiserie project by David/Nicholas. For the first time, the design studio will open its spaces to the public, presenting a spatial and immersive installation reflecting the contemporary architectural language of the two creatives.
5VIE District: What to see at the Cavallerizze during the Fuorisalone
Let's begin with Marco Guazzini 's project . Produced by 5VIE and curated by Maria Cristina Didero , the work titled Resonance will showcase the emotional and psychological impact of a work of art before a large audience. The installation, conceived as a sensory journey, will represent a metaphysical landscape in which matter will seem to come alive and become a source of possibility. A continuous tubular system will form the body of an installation made of furnishings, spatial elements, and functional pieces emerging from a flexible horizon. Movement comes first, and the imagination is given free rein. We continue with A Hymn for Mothers , another project produced by 5VIE, which showcases the sensitive creativity of Japanese artist Noe Kuremoto . A love letter to motherhood, without boundaries, among sculptural stoneware vases that reinterpret ancient ceramic amphorae dating back to the Jomon period (14,000–300 BC). Designed around the urgent need to give women a prominent place in society, the artifacts will be interpreted as talismans for life, objects endowed with a fluid, intergenerational meaning. Still within the 5VIE production circuit, Studio mo man tai will bring enormous, colorful banners to the Cavallerizze, capable of transforming an entrance into a portal. Undoubtedly spectacular, the 18 x 46 meter yarns will bring a nuanced life to the museum: "These banners once served as a backdrop for commercial narratives. By cutting them up and reassembling them, we give them a new foreground: physical, tactile, and open," the designers stated. Sara Ricciardi , a loyal creative of the district, will return to this context. With ALMA WATER - The Sea Room , she will transport viewers from Milan to Sardinia through a sound device—after all, harmony is never lacking in the ingredients of her works. The space will come alive with the continuous movement of large silk bellies. The fabrics, suspended and moved by breaths of air, will ripple like the surface of the sea, generating a fluid and enveloping choreography. Giuditta Vettese will also stage The Flame That Does Not Burn : a sculpture conceived as a domestic altar, introducing the theme of contemplation into everyday spaces. The allusion to a fire that never goes out is intriguing, and within this sense of constant regeneration, a performative action on the concept of ritual will be inserted. Finally, BAR TRATTORIA ALTRA VISTA CON SALA GIOCHI by Another View will return. Adding a leisurely pastime to the museum space. This experiential space, open to all during the day and by invitation only in the evening, will be a meeting point with an invitation: situations always have multiple perspectives to consider.