For the 2017 edition of the Salone del Mobile, the 20 students of the Creative Academy of Milan, the international school of design of the Richemont Group, design a special collection inspired by wood. Under the guidance of Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca of Eligo Studio, they explore the natural material par excellence, to discover how creativity can meet artisanal savoir-faire. The exhibition is showcased in the exceptional location of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, one of the city’s most prized cultural destinations.

The project is promoted by the Creative Academy in collaboration with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art and the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, with the support of the prestigious Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, once again sustaining the young creative talents and the artisanal skills of master craftspeople.

The 20 students attending the exclusive Master Programme in Design and Applied Arts are selected from the best international design schools. Guided by Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca, the young designers create an original collection of wooden objects related to the theme of nature and crafted with two of the most ancient and noble woodworking techniques: marquetry and woodturning.

These versatile and fascinating techniques are interpreted by the young designers in a contemporary key, which comes alive in original creations thanks to the expert hands of two important Lombard master craftsmen: Giordano Viganò, a renowned cabinetmaker, nominated Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (MAM) in 2016 and Carlo Meloni, to whom the best designers and companies turn for his long experience in this kind of wood processing.

The exhibition is staged by Eligo Studio in the magnificent Salone dell’Affresco, and visitors are guided to the discovery of this original collection of special objects through a suggestive and poetic tribute to the forest, the symbol of Mother Nature.

The exhibition is dedicated to the products but also to the projects, the making-of and the educational development of the concept. It is the fruit of a highly contemporary creative exercise, and is deeply harmonized with Italian and Milanese traditions as well as with the historical and artistic heritage of the location, with particular regard to the precious cabinetry and applied arts collections of the Milanese museum-home, which are both a cultural reference and a source of inspiration.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, partner in the project, the exhibition is open from 4 April to 29 May 2017.

Free admission in the Salone dell’Affresco during the Salone del Mobile of Milan

From Monday 10 April: 10 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.

(Closed on Tuesdays)