Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano

22 of April '24

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This year's spring meeting with design has just come to an end. The 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile Milano was in many ways a record-breaking event. With more than 360,000 attendees, the event once again served as a bridge for dialogue between brands, artists and architects, underscoring Milan's unwavering position as a city open to design and culture.

This was one of the most unprecedented editions, with a large number of international visitors from all continents in the Rho Fiera space. Among the participants there were also the winners of the international Paradyż Designers competition, who came here at the special invitation of Paradyż Ceramics.

Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano.

In search of inspiration

April 21 marked the end of another edition of the most important and widely talked about design event. Interior designers, architects, gallery owners, curators, artists and brands encouraged visitors to roam the city and fair spaces of Salone del Mobile in search of inspiration and new ideas. This year, many immersive installations and product debuts required attendees to slow down, stop and consider the magnitude of the grandeur or subtleties that lay ahead. From the Salone del Mobile and Alcova fairs to the Nilufar Lancetti and Rossana Orlandi galleries, the scale of events put visitors in an ecstatic mood.

Ceramika Paradyż could not be missing from this good company. The brand invited to Milan the winners of the third edition of the Paradyż Designers competition, who were selected by a distinguished international Jury, including Jürgen Mayer H. (chairman of the Jury), David Basulto, Didier F. Faustino, Agnieszka Kalinowska- Soltys, Oskar Zięta, Przemo Łukasik or Magdalena Federowicz- Boule. The finalists (including architects Marta Żebrowska-Wojczuk and Weronika Król from MOW.design studio, Agata Gała from Blank studio and students Piotr Hańderek and Szczepan Zalewski) met in Milan to share experiences and discover new inspirations. The event was overseen by the competition's content curator Marcin Szczelina, architecture critic and founder of Architecture Snob.

Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano.

A journey into the world of design with Giovanna Castiglioni

One of the first stops of the Milan journey was Allesandro Mendini's retrospective exhibition. In the Cubo Triennale space, guests invited by Ceramika Paradyż admired more than 400 works of various formats, materials and themes from private and public collections, including the archives of Alessandro Mendini, Fondation Cartier, Triennale Milano, Groninger Museum, and Vitra Design Museum. The exhibition's title "Lo sono un drago" ("I am a dragon") referred to one of Alessandro Mendini's most emblematic self-portraits, highlighting the complexity of this figure in the world of international design, architecture and art.

The winners of the competition then went to a workshop with Giovanna Castiglioni. Daughter of prominent designer Achille Castiglioni, she offered Polish guests a unique perspective through which to view her father's work. She delved into the philosophy guiding his creative process, emphasizing her belief in the power of observation, the beauty of simplicity and the importance of functionality.

Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano.

Creative inspiration

A walk through Italian furniture showrooms with architecture professor Maria Victoria was an extraordinary experience for the Paradyż Designers winners, allowing them to discover the latest trends in the world of design. Visiting the exhibition spaces, architects and young students of design art admired not only new collections of furniture and accessories, but also experimental art installations and project presentations, pushing the boundaries of traditional design. Walking around the city, they delved into Milan's history and culture, discovering architectural gems that are an integral part of the city.

Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano.

At the Rho Fiera, home of Salone del Mobile, Paradyż Ceramics invited the winners to view the installation "A Thinking Room," by acclaimed director David Lynch. Lynch-who spent years as a carpentry hobbyist-placed a geometric wooden chair in each of the twin rooms, surrounded by waves of blue velvet. The chairs became relaxing yet active places for thinking and writing, where participants could "settle in" and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the fair.

Winners of the Paradyż Designers competition at the 62nd Salone del Mobile Milano.

The extensive program, prepared by Ceramika Paradyż, not only gave the winners of the Paradyż Designers competition the opportunity to experience exciting designs from all over the world, but also provided a glimpse of the city's most intriguing buildings and the stands of the world's most prominent creators. Here the winners were able to make valuable contacts, exchange ideas and draw inspiration from the best, creating unforgettable memories of the most important event in the calendars of world design.

Read more at: www.paradyz.com