Maria Karolidou: Design Your Mind

Urban Up | Unipol  at Fuorisalone 2026 revolved around  “Light Our Fire” , a monumental kinetic installation by  Studio Azzurro  on the façade of De Castillia 23, completing a four-year cycle dedicated to the natural elements. The work transformed the building into a luminous representation of the Earth's incandescent core.  During Fuorisalone 2026, Urban Up | Unipol transformed De Castillia 23 into a monumental canvas where architecture, light, and collective consciousness converged. With “Light Our Fire”, Studio Azzurro turned the building's façade into a living organism, pulsating with energy and perpetual transformation. The installation completed a four-year journey inspired by the primordial elements. After water, air, and earth, fire emerged as the final protagonist: a symbol of creative force, knowledge, passion, and responsibility. The façade evoked the incandescent core of the Earth, radiating an energy that was both ancient and profoundly contemporary...

  During Milan Design Week 2026,  Buccellati's Aquae Mirabiles  unfolded as an enchanting underwater dream suspended between mythology, craftsmanship, and imagination. Conceived as an immersive installation curated by  Federica Sala , designed by  Balich Wonder Studio , and enriched by the illustrations of  Luke Edward Hall , the project invited visitors into a contemporary Atlantis where water became memory, light became narrative, and silver transformed into poetry. At the heart of the experience was Buccellati's iconic  Caviar  silverware collection, whose signature microsphere motif became the visual thread connecting every environment. Rather than presenting silver objects as precious possessions, the exhibition elevated them into storytellers, revealing how craftsmanship can carry history, emotion, and cultural identity across generations. Visitors journeyed through a sequence of immersive spaces where mirrors, reflections, aquatic symbols, ...

During  Fuorisalone 2026 ,  5VIE  reaffirmed itself as Milan’s most poetic design district, transforming the city’s historic center into a living landscape of sensory experiences, craftsmanship, and contemporary thought. Hidden among centuries-old courtyards, noble palazzi, artisan workshops, and quiet alleyways, design was discovered rather than exhibited, inviting visitors to wander with curiosity instead of following a predetermined path. The 2026 edition, titled  “QoT – Qualia of Things,”  shifted the conversation away from technology and efficiency toward something profoundly human: the emotions, memories, and sensations that objects can evoke. Inspired by the philosophical concept of  qualia —the subjective experience of perception—5VIE asked visitors not simply to look at design, but to feel it. Throughout the district, materials became storytellers. Stone, glass, wood, textiles, ceramics, and reclaimed objects were transformed into immersive install...

At the International Design Fair in Milan, within the historic halls of Palazzo Litta, designer Emmanuel Babled presents an exhibition shaped by encounter — a body of work where Italian glassmaking tradition meets the colors, philosophies, and craft cultures of Africa. One gesture takes form in the encounter between master glassmakers from Murano and the workshop of Shanga in Arusha: Glass Bridge. The Glass Bridge project was developed under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy in Dar es Salaam, with the support of Neos Airlines, and will continue its journey during the Venice Glass Week in September 2026. Στη Διεθνή Έκθεση Design του Μιλάνου, μέσα στις ιστορικές αίθουσες του Palazzo Litta, ο σχεδιαστής Emmanuel Babled παρουσιάζει μια έκθεση που διαμορφώνεται μέσα από τη συνάντηση διαφορετικών κόσμων — ένα σύνολο έργων όπου η ιταλική παράδοση της υαλουργίας συναντά τα χρώματα, τις φιλοσοφίες και τις χειροτεχνικές κουλτούρες της Αφρικής. Μία από αυτές τις συναντήσεις παίρνει μορφή μέσα...

During Fuorisalone 2026, La Casa di Marmo emerged as one of the most refined and immersive installations of the Brera Design District. Conceived by Hannes Peer Architecture for Margraf, the project transformed marble from a mere finishing material into the very essence of architecture, creating a sensory journey where stone became space, atmosphere, and light. Hidden beneath the garden of a historic villa on Via Cernaia, the installation unfolded as a contemporary interpretation of the home. Visitors were guided through a sequence of interconnected environments in which walls, floors, and ceilings were sculpted from marble, blurring the boundaries between structure and surface. At the heart of the experience lay a central patio, where light and water interacted with the stone, generating reflections, shadows, and ever-changing perceptions of the space. The protagonist of the installation was Santafiora®, a warm-toned Italian marble whose rich textures and natural veining defined the id...

During Fuorisalone 2026,  Palazzo Arese Borromeo  in Cesano Maderno offered one of the most evocative settings of Milan Design Week, where history, art, and contemporary design entered into a captivating dialogue. This magnificent 17th-century Baroque residence, renowned for its frescoed halls, grand courtyards, and formal gardens, became a stage where design was experienced not only as an object, but as culture, storytelling, and human connection. Set among richly decorated rooms and centuries-old architectural splendor, the palace hosted  “0–99. Design per gioco” , an exhibition that explored the world of board games as cultural artifacts capable of transcending generations, geographies, and social boundaries. Rather than presenting games merely as entertainment, the exhibition revealed them as expressions of collective memory, creativity, strategy, and coexistence. The contrast between the palace’s historic frescoes and the contemporary installations created a unique a...

In modern homes, tapestries are re-emerging as dynamic elements of interior design, bridging the worlds of art and architecture. Far removed from their traditional role, contemporary tapestries function as large-scale textile compositions that bring warmth, texture, and artistic character to minimalist and sophisticated living environments. Through their rich textures, abstract patterns, and contemporary color palettes, they transform walls into focal points that tell stories and create atmosphere. At the same time, their textile nature enhances the acoustic comfort of a space by helping to absorb sound and fostering a sense of calm and intimacy. Whether presented as striking large-scale artworks or as subtle decorative accents, tapestries add depth and dimension to interiors. Their presence introduces craftsmanship and materiality into an era dominated by clean lines and smooth surfaces, creating a harmonious balance between contemporary aesthetics and the timeless art of weaving. As ...

Arte Wallcoverings transforms walls into immersive works of art, where texture, craftsmanship, and imagination converge to shape extraordinary interiors. More than decorative surfaces, each collection is conceived as a sensory experience—inviting touch, capturing light, and creating atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from nature, architecture, global cultures, and contemporary design, Arte combines innovative materials with artisanal techniques to produce wallcoverings of remarkable depth and character. Delicate reliefs, rich natural fibers, sculptural patterns, and refined color palettes interact to create spaces that feel both timeless and distinctive. Every design tells a story. Some evoke the quiet elegance of woven textiles, others the rhythm of organic landscapes, the geometry of urban forms, or the poetry of handcrafted traditions. Through meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to innovation, Arte elevates the wall from a background element to a central expression of ident...