The seeds of new life spring from a hand. This is the image chosen by Formafantasma, in their exhibition Cambio at the Serpentine Galleries in London, to say that design can play an important role in the translation of contemporary urgencies into punctual, scientific and collaborative responses. We have taken this as our cue to talk about design in a moment of great fragility and uncertainty.
We’ve reached April, a month that for the last 30 years has set the pace of the world of design, thanks to the Salone del Mobile and the FuoriSalone, with its 500 events that transform the city into a festive happening of creativity. And for almost 30 years we have devoted our April issue (with April 2020, Interni celebrates the 700th issue on newsstands, since its foundation in 1954) to the new developments companies were ready to launch on the market, after their presentation at Design Week in Milan.
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Armani Boutique, via Sant'Andrea 9, Milan. Project by Giorgio Armani. Photo by Beppe Raso/courtesy Giorgio Armani Archive
This year, due to an unpredictable and puzzling pandemic, we have to set aside these essential appointments. Nevertheless, companies are moving forward with their research and their production, ready to grasp the first opportunity to physically display their new creations in public. They continue to communicate, to let people know they are operative and active, and committed more than ever to following their path of international growth that brings the value of Made in Italy to a worldwide audience.
As Francesco Morace emphasizes in this issue, the Italian System – especially in the design industry – can become an antidote: a strong point capable of reinforcing the immune system, wagering on uniqueness, creativity and distinctivestyle, continuing to meet challenges in terms of ethical and aesthetic quality. It can be the solution to restore the chain of trust that has been interrupted by the health crisis. But it can also be an opportunity to get back to substance, and to the great tradition of Italian design.
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