Bright ideas
DESIGN FESTIVALS
The future’s bright, the future’s... art? These five
festivals seek to explore whether design might
be the answer to the issues of todayMILAN
The Italian powerhouse stands as a rather
stylish beacon in Europe’s cultural landscape,
and its aesthetic excellence is set to come
to fore this spring as MILANO ART WEEK
arrives (14-19 April). A dynamic calendar
of discussions, shows, performances and
exhibitions take place in venues across the
city, with big names for 2020 including
Olafur Eliasson — the Danish-Icelandic
artist whose works explore the relationship
between art and nature — who’s been
commissioned by the Nicola Trussardi
Foundation. VENTURA CENTRALE (21-26
April) meanwhile, sees international artists
telling stories through visually impressive
installations, all housed in the vaulted
warehouses beneath Milan Centrale station.
And then there’s the venerable SALONE
DEL MOBILE (21-26 April) — the inluential
furniture fair — which is turning its
attention to ‘smart homes’ as a way of
combining aesthetics and technology for
the future. Sustainability is also on the
agenda, with many of this year’s designers
recycling previous years’ stands, or
upcycling materials for their exhibits.
venturaprojects.com salonemilano.itLILLE
Ater Mexico City’s stint in
2 018, the French city is revelling
in its spell as World Design
Capital 2020. It’s the irst time
France has claimed the title,
and throughout the year, the
Greater Lille region is awash
with artistic celebrations: expect
everything from exhibitions on
how design afects our lives to
summer camps with artists and
architects. wdo.orgLONDON
Now in its 11th year, Clerkenwell
Design Week returns with a
colourful calendar of art- and
architecture-focused talks,
walks and installations in streets
and showrooms across the
neighbourhood. It’s a real local
celebration of design, with many
of the exhibitions exploring
the quirky history of this
corner of the capital. 19-21 May.
clerkenwelldesginweek.comQUERÉTARO
Universities, museums,
designers, galleries and
government bodies are joining
forces for Querétaro Design
Week, a four-day celebration of
style in the beautifully baroque
Mexican city. A must for design
gurus, it aims to show how
innovative design — in all its
guises, from fashion to furniture
— ofers savvy solutions
for modern issues. 2-5 May.
queretarodesignweek.comEINDHOVEN
The Dutch city is well-known
for its innovative ideas, thanks
in no small part to the Dutch
Design Week, which rolls around
each autumn. The festival is
a highlight of any creative
calendar and is the largest such
festival in northern Europe, with
more than 350,000 visitors illing
the city for exhibitions, debates
and lectures on the future of
design. 17-25 October. ddw.nl
IMAGES: CLAUDIO GRASSI; ALAMY CONNOR MCGOVERN
‘Come to Light’ by ARIA,
Ventura Centrale, Milan.
BELOW: Once Upon a Time
installation, Clerkenwell
Design Week 2019SMART TRAVELLERApril 2020 25