For people interested in a New Design, the exhibition of the 21 Triennale Milano New Craft, curated by Stefano Micelli at Fabbrica del Vapore, expresses its possible path better than any other, in many different areas, and gives visible form to the virtuous encounter between innovation in technology and traditional manufacturing. Fil rouge of “Design after Design”.
The theatrical staging (by Studio Geza) inside the huge “cathedral” of Fabbrica del Vapore leads us into the new territory where New Craftt and New Design fit together. In these exhibits, no doubt Poetry is prevailing over the hi-tech vision.
“The strength of these technologically advanced craftsmen is their having updated the working sequence prototype-shape-taking-distribution, that marked the heroic age of industrial devolopment, relying instead on the Web as a dialogue and contamination platform.” quotes the curator Stefano Micelli.
We are witnessing a revolution in technology that has transformed our way of producing, consuming and, above all, of designing. Digital manufacturing means we can imagine a design that allows for variety and customisation: a new generation of artisans can now make use of new technologies to promote diversity and create products of ever- higher quality. These artisans combine technology and tradition to give meaning and economic value to products that would otherwise be easy to replicate.
The exhibition covers many areas: cars, bicycles, letterpress printing, 3D printing, jewellery, clothes, furniture, prosthetics and dental materials, steel and wood.
The production process involved in each sector will be illustrated and close to the artefacts there will be digital workshops and artisans capable of producing amazing objects in small spaces.
The products are displayed in the nave, while processes are in the aisles, along with labs where one can try some of these technologies.