The creative area within the Zona Tortona district in Milan, Tortona Rocks is set to be enlivened by objects that weave together narratives of the past and the future at the upcoming Milan Design Week. Stirring creativity in the world of contemporary and experimental design while simultaneously drawing contrast with the district’s post-industrial heritage, Tortona Rocks’ 11th edition this year, titled Design to Change Everything, brings together a fusion of creative visions and research ambitions to elevate the experience of Fuorisalone, the citywide programme of events running through the design week. Shaping design futures through rigorous reinterpretation of the present, Tortona Rocks, as a ‘transversal trend incubator’, invites visitors to perceive the design process as a rebellious endeavour of creativity and technology. While these endeavours take the form of multidisciplinary interactions, immersive environments and installations, a much deeper examination of industry, culture and experimentation dwells within these interventions. Amidst growing political unrest and socio-cultural tensions, Tortona Rocks 2026, of which STIR is a media partner, attempts to emerge as ‘a purposeful act,’ actively proposing alternatives for perceiving and practising design instead of adapting to the global socio-political and cultural landscape passively.

Set to take place between April 20 - 26, 2026, the design event reinforces its position as one of the epicentres of Milan Design Week by proposing design alternatives and putting forth diverse possibilities for the uncertain future. The projects advocate design as a critical and operational tool, prioritising research, processes and systems over the objects themselves. Established projects and new international collaborations expand the scope of interaction, articulating a cohesive programme across the district. Projects such as Haier’s Inside the Experience, which rethinks domestic environments through intelligent, adaptive systems, and Zeekr Design’s The Art of Connection, where the automotive process is unpacked to foreground transparency and interdisciplinary collaboration, tell us to perceive and engage with our everyday spaces and objects with much thought and awareness. While Designed by Who? Curated by uau studio hints towards collective accountability and engagement by decentralising authorship, McDonald’s POOL Ti sblocco un ricordo employs AI to construct personalised memory as a shared cultural interface. At the core of the design week is an ambition to reframe change as a responsibility rather than a mere slogan, aspiring to bring about considerable change in the design discourse.

Among the many installations set to take stage at Via Tortona 31—the address for Opificio 31, a renowned former industrial complex now serving as a multi-purpose event space—is Soundsorial Design, a collaboration between the Vape brand IQOS and French acoustic engineering brand Devialet. Sound design and technology converge to create an immersive soundscape involving water and movement that the visitors get to fully experience while traversing the whole design exhibition. Alongside the installation, the two brands will also showcase the speakers’ Limited-Edition Capsule Drop, built exclusively for the collaboration. Also taking place at the venue is watch brand Swatch’s dialogue between human creativity and AI, drawing from the brand’s generous archive of 40 years of design and experimentation. The Swatch AI-DADA uses this visual history as a generative material for new creations, an experience which welcomes all visitors.

Also taking place at the venue will be Fòco, the final chapter of an interior design tetralogy by Archiproducts Milano—a contemporary research and design space created by Milanese practice Studio Pepe—that centres its curatorial theme around the fourth element, fire, following earth, water and air from their previous showcases. A space with a layered and multifaceted identity, Fòco will accommodate various brands and products in a cohesive concept titled Living Notes that centres the harmony of material, light and forms. In contrast, the industrial design brand Italdesign, founded by Italian automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, presents Essere Progetto, a vision for fusing automotive design with spatial storytelling spanning diverse sectors including automotive and product design, aerospace and robotics. On display will be the iconic Honda NSX Tribute, acting as a symbol of multidisciplinary engagement across design style, engineering and development. Aside from Italdesign, leading EV (electric vehicle) technology company Zeekr Group’s design division, Zeekr Design, also presents designs from the automotive sector. The exhibition, titled The Art of Connection, peeks into the creative process behind the car Zeekr 7GT through sketches, clay models, prototypes and immersive installations.

McDonald’s celebrates four decades of its presence in Italy with POOL Ti sblocco un ricordo (I'll unlock a memory for you), an immersive exhibition at Via Tortona 58 that acts as a bridge between contemporary art, pop culture and generational memory. Curated by exhibition producer and media expert Nicolas Ballario, the project stages three environments that focus on the relationships among childhood, visual imagery and the construction of memory. A large ball pool will be at the centre of the exhibition, acting as a mediating installation that connects spontaneous creative encounters, such as Damien Hirst’s Spot Painting and systematic artistic language of Vedovamazzei’s Early Work series. Eventually, visitors will stumble upon an AI-based time machine that generates personalised memories through visuals, whereas an archive of memorabilia and distinct objects will recollect the company’s history and development in the country.

Hosted by Italian architect and designer Paola Navone at Otto Studiot, All’Origine Boutique presents a series of furniture designs and objects that reflect on the collective historical and cultural memory of Italian design. The temporary shop will demonstrate the ability of objects to survive eras and reject prevalent trends through thoughtful, purpose-led design that is culturally celebrated. On the other hand, CANDYSLAB’s Italian Pop Design world comes alive in the immersive installation Wild Experience, foregrounding colour, technology and experimental design. From the Kira panther statue to the Candy Chair, the brand’s 3D prototypes and production technologies will be spotlighted.

Hans Boodt Mannequins’ latest collection, REBEL, positions mannequins as ‘a presence packed with expressive potential’ rather than a static display. Produced from 3D scans of actual bodies in motion, the project values identity and imperfection instead of the abstraction that appears mechanical at times. The mannequins evoke the feeling of artistic marble statues that capture the anthropological gestures expertly in an image, evoking a projection within the space.

Contemporary Kitchens Inside, to be presented by Lurano-based kitchen specialists Foroo, comprises modular kitchen solutions characterised by exceptional Italian design and artisanal details. Founded by Davide Defendi and Roberta Rovaris, the brand brings together five colour palettes staged as an interplay of materials, colours, textures and finishes. The presentation highlights a fusion of modular efficiency with the aesthetics of modern design. Additionally, modern fireplaces expert Planika will present its diverse portfolio of works conceived to help visitors visualise the products as centrepieces within contemporary spaces.

Moving deeper into the event, Designed by Who? Curated by uau studio, focuses on a collaborative design process, inviting visitors to contribute through sketches, ideas and digital tools that come together as a collective project. Another group exhibition, curated by Bud Brand, showcases the works of young Japanese designers, with pieces suspended above eye level to reveal new perspectives. Moments of Joy by Maisons du Monde puts together an emotional journey, beginning with the exploration of home and followed by environments inspired by distant landscapes such as Mediterranean gardens. The Tortona Rocks programme will conclude with the installation Haier – Inside the Experience, which explores the relationship between people and their domestic environments in which new ways of living emerge through innovation and creative storytelling, evoking intuition and simplicity of daily routines.

Across these installations and exhibitions, Tortona Rocks is ultimately steering away from objects as the end goal of the creative process and instead focuses on the systems that permeate deep within the discipline. The featured projects examine the ways in which one inhabits and relates to spaces, along with the practices and approaches that define their production. The change that Tortona Rocks aspires to bring about is cumulative, collectively rehearsing for a future where design repositions itself as a critical mediator of contemporary life amidst growing global unrest.

Stay tuned for exclusive coverage and highlights of Milan Design Week 2026 and Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 on STIR. Tap here for regular updates on all design districts, including Fuorisalone, Brera, 5vie, Isola and beyond.