A subprogram of Salone del Mobile.Milano, SaloneSatellite opens opportunities for designers under 35 to present prototypes that have not been produced and marketed. Since its establishment in 1998, it has attracted over 15,000 young talents from all over the world. This year, the program founded by Marva Griffin marks the 14th edition with the theme of Nuovo Artigianato: Un Mondo Nuovo//New Craftsmanship: A New World. The Jury of the SaloneSatellite Award has chosen the four winning projects from over 130 candidates. And this year's award, the oldest tradition, was renewed to meet the needs of contemporary design.
The challenge posed by the theme of the 26th edition of the SaloneSatellite – New Craftmanship: A New—has found an answer in the projects of the designers nominated for this award, who responded to the challenge with mature ideas and a practical reflection on the future of furniture. More than by forms, materials, and processes, the young talents are inspired by a broad range of sectors, paying particular attention to the circularity of materials and components, and engaging in the challenge of designing solutions as far as possible made from a single material. Construction minimalism, innovative joints, and smart solutions are integrated with contemporary tools such as generative design and 3D printing, without sacrificing the value of traditional techniques, reworked together with master craftsmen.
In the year of the Euroluce Biennial, there is no shortage of lighting proposals, both delicate and revolutionary. In the variety, it is sobering to find them (almost) all agreeing that the union of craftsmanship and contemporary design ensures the creation of a unique cultural identity and different choices for the future.
Paola Antonelli, President of the SaloneSatellite Award Jury, comments: "CRAFTSMANSHIP is essential for progress, even in today's world, powered by artificial intelligence and 3D printing. It is not just a way to understand the material culture of other peoples. When materials and technologies are brand new, the ability to make by hand is essential to drive innovation."
The first prize went to Kazuki Nagasawa of the Japanese studio Super Rat for the Utsuwa-Juhi Series, vases and containers that reinterpret Japanese crafts to preserve history and culture, with bark as the main material and traditional dyeing techniques, allowing for diverse forms and cutting the environmental production impact. The second prize goes to the Dutch studio Luis Marie for Plissade, an all-textile screen, stiffened without binders or adhesives, reimagining traditional pleating techniques for a self-supporting, circular room divider with new possibilities for textile home objects. The third prize goes to the Italian Riccardo Toldo for the Fil Rouge lamp: an almost invisible filament comes alive when fed from opposing poles. Inspired by the red thread said to bind destinies, its fragile appearance (Ø 1.8 millimetres) hides an illuminating power of up to 1,200 lumens.
The designer awarded the Special Mention was presented with the Róng Design Award, which offers a one-month residency at the Rong Design Library in the Yuhang district of Hangzhou in China, the promoter of the initiative. This is the Venezuelan designer Juan Cortizo with the Quibor Project. This loudspeaker embodies his passion for industrial design and commitment to Venezuelan craftsmanship; each piece in this unique collection expresses the author's training and experience.