The Milan Design Week is not just about design objects but is above all about events and initiatives that reflect the ephemeral nature of the design festival—watching, listening, tasting, talking and listening, walking, discovering, and dancing. There is something for everyone—for those who want to delve into topics being explored by designers, those who want to stay up late or those simply looking calm and relaxation at the end of a frenetic day. To this end, STIR curates a list of 10 such events of Fuorisalone 2023 that are expected to suffuse the city with dynamism, creativity, and vibrancy.

Prada Frames: Materials in Flux

At Teatro Filodrammatici di Milano (April 17 - 19, 2023)

Prada Frames is a multidisciplinary symposium curated by Studio Formafantasma, which investigates the complex relationship between design and environment. The 2023 edition of Prada Frames, is dedicated to the theme Materials in Flux: a plural reflection based on the studies of British anthropologist Tim Ingold, for whom matter is a living, interconnected and ever-changing entity. The participants of the symposium intend to explore the concept of waste, delve into dynamics governing waste infrastructures and their valorisation systems, and analyse the complex relationship between matter and ecosystems. During six sessions spread over three days, from April 17 to 19, 2023, scholars and practitioners from different fields of research, such as Elizabeth Povinelli, Beatriz Colomina, Mark Wigley, Sophie Chao, Veena Sahajwalla and Hans Ulrich Obrist, among others, will confront each other.

Design Cure

At Teatro Principe (April 20-22, 2023)

Teatro Principe is a historic sports and cultural landmark located in the heart of Milan, a few steps from Bocconi University. Between 1949 and 1961 it was the symbol of the glories of Italian boxing. During Milan Design Week it is transformed into a meeting and decompression space, where four artistic collectives, protagonists of the Milanese cultural scene, will offer a multidisciplinary programme, with talks, exhibitions, radio programmes, performances and parties.

Design Pride

At Piazza Affari (April 19, 2023)

The Design Pride event is known as the 'most pop party of the week.' Like every year, the meeting point for the street parade is Piazza Castello (at the corner with Via Minghetti) at 6.00 pm—the procession, with floats, exhibitions, performances and music, will cross the city centre until it reaches Piazza Affari for the party under the iconic L.O.V.E. sculpture by artist Maurizio Cattelan. “The day of the Design Pride is for me the best day of the year,” says Stefano Seletti, artistic director Seletti and creator of the project. “My greatest satisfaction is to have succeeded, over time, in involving new generations more and more, because they are contemporary to whom we must look to, with whom we must compare ourselves.”

Reforming the Future

At Istituto Marchiondi Spagliardi (April 20-22, 2023)

Istituto Marchiondi Spagliardi, built in the 1950s and long used as a juvenile reformatory, is a rare example of Italian Brutalist architecture; located in the suburb of Baggio, it was designed by architect Vittoriano Viganò. The building closed in the 1970s, and in a state of neglect, will once again be open to the general public of international design and architecture, owing to the collaboration between Mosca Partners and the city of Milan. The event consists of guided tours of the Istituto Marchiondi’s architectural structure and inside the building, there will also be some projects by students of the Politecnico—who have imagined the possible reuse of the structure.

Hidden Sound x Bar Basso

At Bar Basso (April 20, 2023)

This year, the 'big glass of Bar Basso' became a part of the Museum of Italian Design at Triennale Milano. The year 2023 marks the 55^th anniversary of Negroni Sbagliato, created at the most famous bar on Via Plinio roundabout, to consecrate the moment of the aperitif. During the evenings of the Fuorisalone, Hidden Sound is exhibiting 55 handmade, ultra-thin sound systems, a limited edition characterised by a minimalist design inspired by Bauhaus. The highlight of this celebration will be the party on Thursday, April 20, 2023, which—per usual—promises to block traffic in the surrounding streets.

Domus Breakfast

At Università Bocconi (April 17-21, 2023)

The historic Italian magazine Domus is organising a morning event, entitled Domus Breakfast, in which editor-in-chief Walter Mariotti will interview leading figures from the world of design, architecture and business, on the Italian and international scene. The breakfasts will be held in the new university campus of Bocconi University, designed by Japanese studio SANAA. The design event will also present the opportunity to talk about important topics in a convivial context, as well as an opportunity to give the best start to intense days of Design Week.

A Fuoco Lento

At Morel Milano (April 18-20, 2023)

A Fuoco Lento is a culinary project by Tipografia Alimentare and Morel Milano, a former industrial site now converted into an event location and multinational space. The dinners take us back to a simple philosophy, in which cooking returns to its origins, thanks to an effective tool—the grill, one of the oldest methods of cooking, which will be designed and created ad hoc for the occasion. The temporary restaurant, far from the Milanese hustle and bustle, offers vegetable-based cuisine but with a great love for meat, that will set the pace for an intimate, light and relaxing experience.

On Public Agency

At Drop City (April 15-22, 2023)

The extensive agenda of Drop City, the centre for architecture and design, launched last year, near the Central Station, also includes a lecture series, entitled On Public Agency, curated by researcher Anneke Abhelakh. The programme will involve both international professionals and young architecture firms, based in Italy. The aim is to promote a complex and layered investigation on the state of the art of architecture and to speculate on the future of the profession.

Opposites United

At Museo della Permanente (April 18-22, 2023)

Kia’s spectacular Opposites United Special Exhibition at Museo della Permanente will investigate potential forms of coexistence between technology and nature. In addition to various visual and sound installations, the initiative will include a series of events under the banner of music and dialogue—one talk per day, followed by a performance, with international guests—Emanuele Coccia, Alice Rawsthorn, Andrea Lissoni, Marco Sammicheli, Bethan Laura Wood and Femi Adeyemi and Bas Smets; as well as internationally recognised musicians such as Hudson Mohawke, Afrodeutsche, Talpah, Alewya, Pantha Du Prince, among others.

Parentesi Cinema

At DOPO? space (April 20, 2023)

Parentesi Cinema was born to pay homage to a contemporary language that is increasingly common within the discipline of design and architecture—moving images. Spaces, infrastructure, objects, textures, materiality, and the physicality of the material culture which surrounds us are now interrogated, recomposed and narrated by images, sounds and words. Will it be possible to watch the video-essay selection at BASE Milano throughout the week or at DOPO? space during a film marathon on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the best exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands, and special projects to look out for. Explore Euroluce 2023 and all the design districts—5Vie Art and Design, Brera Design District, Fuorisalone, Isola Design District, Tortona District, and Milano Design District—with us.