We’re not exaggerating when we say that among all of this year’s Milan Design Week’s discoveries, neon starred as the one re-discovery that was essential in determining the vibe across the city’s locations.
Not only did sygns participate at the Salone del Mobile fair for the first time, but several of the key events and presentations in the fair and the city not only employed but were even conceived as i=n=v=o=c=a=t=i=o=n=s to the incredible medium that is neon.
The week was inaugurated with the Opening Party at the Triennale Design Museum under the light of one of Cerith Wyn Evans’ breathtaking neon installations, which are completely revolutionizing the neon art scene. This work is titled i=n=v=o=c=a=t=i=o=n and was created so as to recall the ghosts of innumerable light events that happen everyday: from the light emanated by a phone display to the flight of fireflies.
Meanwhile, our industrial truss structure paired with our disorderly arranged neon waves, really stood out in the midst of the Salone del Mobile’s incredibly polished and sumptuous stands. With this booth we chose to emphasize sygns’ young, transparent and experimental aspects, with a raw booth design that did not seek to hide or embellish.
In addition, designer Luca Trazzi staged the installation ‘Poesie di Neon’ at Gallerie d’Italia, one of Milan’s main art museums. Situated in the courtyard and garden of the museum’s historical palace, he created a little wonderland through colourful flower-like sculptures.
While at the Milanese Design Week’s hotspot - the Università degli Studi - the BeBrazil exhibition presented the work of Alê Jordão: an artist from Sao Paulo who’s been on our radar for some time due to his interesting handling of neon’s inherent link to brands and consumerism in his series 'The Neon Traffic Dealer'. We were glad to find him there and think we will be seeing a lot more of his works now he has disembarked on this side of the ocean!