Confession of Design exhibition showcased Austrian products in Milan
Dezeen promotion: an exhibition of Austrian design was presented at the Rotonda della Besana in Milan earlier this month by Advantage Austria (+ movie).
Sixty-one participants showed 74 exhibits designed or produced in Austria for the exhibition's fifth edition.
Architects Vasku&Klug designed the exhibition, titled Confession of Design, in a former church to the east of central Milan.
The studio's simple white stands shaped like pews slotted between the giant columns and along the walls of the eighteenth-century building. Read Vasku&Klug's credo here.
"This exhibition sees itself as a search for potential heirlooms of future generations," said Andreas Klug from Vasku&Klug.
Projects on display included a series of prototype high-tech "holdable" devices designed as a satirical take on wearable technology by taliaYstudio.
The exhibition took place during Milan's design week from 8 to 13 April - see more of Dezeen's coverage of the event here.
Read on for more information from Advantage Austria:
Confession of Design by Vasku&Klug
For the fifth time Advantage Austria initiated an exhibition of contemporary Austrian design during the Fuorisalone in Milan. Vasku&Klug was asked to come up with a concept and a design for the 2014 show.
Located in the Rotonda della Besana, a former church in the center of Milan, the exhibition hosted 61 participants with 74 exhibits, produced or designed in Austria. Among the exhibitors were designers like Andrea Baumann, Thomas Feichtner, Alexander Gufler, mostlikely, Rainer Mutsch, Madeleine Plass, taliaYstudio and Valentin Vodev Studio.
The exhibition concept of Confession of Design aimed to respect, safeguard and utilise the sacred atmosphere of the Rotonda della Besana. The design quoted sacred elements known from church interiors to ensure that the exhibits do not enter into competition with the site, look out of place or become lost within it.
The presentation of new products created by contemporary designers and also long-established and more recent manufacturers makes a subtle but unmistakable reference to Austria's historical tradition of product design and related fields of activity. It was once representatives of this country who put forward their own understanding of art – for example, as interpreted by the Vienna Secession.
They likewise brought about change on a global scale, whose influence is still felt to the present day, with Adolf Loos acting as a key figure here. This has served as the basis for traditional companies, allowing them to preserve and refine their expertise in the fields of craftsmanship, art and technology.
Like the businesses themselves, many of their products have endured and nowadays stand for stability of value, which can be passed down through the generations. Others find their inspiration in such tradition, which spurs them on to new creations.
During the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the place of pilgrimage for design, it aims to create a stage for new ideas and formulates an Austrian confession of design through the country’s relationship with design history.
The event was organised by Advantage Austria with the support of go-international – an initiative of Austria's Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy and the Austrian Economic Chamber – as well as the Austrian Furniture Industry.