Milan update: here are some photos of The Family of Form, the exhibition staged by Design Academy Eindhoven in Via Palermo, Milan last month.

The show brought together pieces by many of the academy's former students, including famous names such as Jurgen Bey, Maarten Baas, Hella Jongerius and Joris Laarman.

Press release from Design Academy Eindhoven follows:

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Design Academy Eindhoven: The Family of Form

In 2007, Design Academy Eindhoven celebrates its 60th anniversary. To add lustre to this event, the institute organizes the exhibition The Family of Form at the Salone del Mobile 2007. In this group presentation of the work of three generations of DAE graduates, the full focus is on the identity of design. The exhibition is on view from April 18 through April 22 in Museo Luciano Minguzzi, Milan.

This year, Design Academy Eindhoven has decided to delve into a subject matter that has gained in importance over the last couple of years: the investigation of the identity of design.

The young designer researches ideals of beauty, individuality, and materialization of the physical or virtual form. He searches for human and personal values, dignity, and balance. He reaches surprising insights, dares to make a stand, designs new materials, and invents new techniques.

Weight and time measurement instruments are deployed in innovative manners and a penchant for manually operable and mechanically moveable objects is gaining ground.

In the twenty-first century, the urge for decoration decreases while the need for identification increases, often in a more abstract or symbolic form. The tendency is translated into objects with more colour and a greater individuality. The substantiation of the individual standpoint, the design of a product’s individuality, are central issues in the final selection for the exhibition.

The title of the exhibition refers to the famous photo book The Family of Man by Edward Steichen, which appeared in the 1950s. The book was the first to give an overall image of the peoples of the world, the uniqueness of their characteristics and the universality of their experience.

The exhibition The Family of Form demonstrates how an inquiring attitude can lead to a varied yet coherent collection of forms. The title also stands for the commitment of all the family members of the Design Academy (heads, teachers, staff, alumni, and students) to collectively achieve innovation and deepening within the design domain.