Euroluce 2025: The Forum (1st Edition)

(Central image above: You Can Imagine the Opposite, Mauricio Nannuci. Euroluce 2023/ The City of Lights. ©Diego Ravier.)

Salone del Mobile.Milano announces the first Euroluce International Lighting Forum. 

The sly innuendoes of what to expect will be certainly the talk of the months to follow, allowing for the international audience to witness an exhibition that goes further than just interior or exterior lighting solutions for home or office use. The Forum will act fit to explore possibilities in AI, light therapy, scientific lighting and special units lighting design, in an array of academics and lighting design specialists, ready to deliver. So, it seems to be planned, and the excitement hits the roof, since a Forum around the major event of Euroluce was often discussed in and out the main Salone exhibition throughout the years.

The 2025 edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano is ready to herald the launch of the first edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum, a global arena for multi-voice discussion on the leading issues in lighting design. The first three names have been unveiled: DRIFT, A.J. Weissbard and Marjan van Aubel. Two days packed with events, including conferences, round tables and workshops, numerous international guests and a space created ad hoc in the Euroluce exhibition area. This, in brief, sums up the first Euroluce International Lighting Forum  that will be held on 10th and 11th April 2025 in Pavilions of the lighting biennial under the umbrella of the 63rd edition of Salone del Mobile, at Rho Fiera Milano from 8th to 13th April, and on a two-yearly basis thereafter.

The Forum will bring together an international panel of creatives, architects, designers, scientists and lighting industry professionals, to discuss highly relevant topics. The first names to be confirmed include DRIFT, specialising in sculptures, installations and experiential performances that underline the parallels between artificial and natural structures, A.J. Weissbard, a lighting designer and multifaceted artist of international renown; and Marjan van Aubel, a leader in the field of solar design for a sustainable, innovative and mindful future. A structured programme will provide an opportunity to dig deep into key issues such as the interaction between light and architecture and light and wellbeing, through an integrated and multidisciplinary design approach. Each edition will tackle specific aspects of lighting design, providing inspiration and practical tools for creating more sustainable and inclusive spaces. 

Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, had this to say: “Following the first transformation of Euroluce that we set in motion at the previous edition, rethinking the exhibition layout, we are proud to present another important innovation, this time concerning the content of the exhibition. Light is, incontrovertibly, an increasingly integral part of our lives. As a place where ideas and visions that lead to dialogue intersect, laying fertile ground for innovation, the Forum reflects the DNA of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, which has always been a generator and bearer of new ideas and formats for tackling contemporary challenges.” 

Carlo Urbinati, President of Assoluce, FederlegnoArredo said: “Light not only makes things appear, it also creates atmospheres, depths and perceptions capable of interpreting architectures and open spaces, as in a pentagram. The role of the designer is increasingly similar to that of the conductor of an orchestra, who does not just execute a score, but gives a personal interpretation of it. It is with this sort of strategic role within the industry in mind that FederlegnoArredo's Assoluce felt it was time to set up a dedicated international forum. I would therefore like to thank the Salone del Mobile.Milano for deciding to give shape to this idea with the Euroluce International Lighting Forum, confirming, once again, that our trade fair is not just the world's leading design and furniture sector event but, uniquely in the world, is the home of entrepreneurs committed to designing the future of the sector they represent.

Stay tuned and follow Salone del Mobile official channels, the period prior to the event. It is a new addition to the Salone many manifestations, destined to guarantee an unforgettable experience of learning and advancing the lighting design game.

Lots of Light 🌞 and Love 💕 

AD4-D4A 💙💚🙏

See into this, the Day-Meta.

(Image-original artwork above is created at its final stage by using AI agents).

Yesterday's launch of Orion, the augmented reality eyewear by Meta, was very much an expected evolution in the smart eyewear industry which falls perfectly into place with these news released by Euromonitor. News that certainly deserve a separate post.

Following the updates of EssilorLuxottica extending their long-term partnership with Meta, there is some expert commentary below on the potential impact of this 10-year deal to further advance the development of smart eyewear.

EssilorLuxottica, the gigantic and legendary French-Italian coalition in eyewear and optical lenses join Meta: both have been leading the change with their collaboration on Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses since 2019. EssilorLuxottica’s decision to extend the long-term partnership with Meta is exactly the right move. This extension could transform the landscape of the sector finally bringing AR experiences closer to mainstream acceptance, with Meta’s long-term vision to build the next generation AI. The question is will Ray-Ban Stories be the game changer or will another major tech companies or a small start up be the one to transform the era of AR smart glasses. The race is on. Of course challenges remain regarding privacy and data security concerns, battery life and socially acceptable designs. However, in Euromonitor’s opinion, smart eyewear is no longer five to 10 years away from becoming part of the mainstream.’

We are eagerly waiting the extras on this fascinating huge alliance and certainly the reaction of the EU central administration regarding GDPR and copyright implications as they are previously established for all digital goods and services in the continent. The crossover between edutainment to optical and probably later hearing aids, also remains a sector to watch from now on since the launch. There is an enlargement not to say a marriage of many scientific domains other than tech, which is going to affect further the design process of the product and its many uses. 

Smart glasses are here to stay, it seems. Next step will be new frames in design, materials and colours and combination of the augmented reality part with the refractive power of the lenses (dioptres or dpt) for vision purposes. You got three major players working on that now. 

Much love + design ❣️💙💚🤓😎

A4D-D4A

A SALONE DEL MOBILE 2024 POST-IT ...!-))

(Photo above: Salone in the City, ©Alessandro Russoti, SPC Publicis Group, courtesy of Salone del Mobile, Milan).

Goodbye, farewell, adieu, adieu, adieu♫♬ until next year 2025 (8 - 13/4).

Another year of significant growth for Salone del Mobile, thus means for significant revenues for the European and International design sectors and its most prominent members through their representation on Italian ground, throughout the immense expo at Rho Fiera.

Some facts and figures at the closure of the 62th Salone del Mobile edition:

With 17.1% more visitors than in 2023, the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 saw a record turnout with 361,417 presences overall (100,000 more than in 2022). An excellent result for professional presences, which were up 26.8%, 65.8% of them from abroad.

In photos bellow: The Kiosk at Piazza della Scala, Milan, signed by DWA Design Studio and curated by Corraini Edizioni, ©Salone del Mobile.Milano. Shortcuts from the clouds inside the Salone Satellite exhibition, ©Ludovica Mangini.

The data which, once again, confirm the key role of the Exhibition in the internationalization of the companies in the sector, the value of networking, as well as the catalyzing force of an event that has gone beyond the perimeter of the trade fair dimension.

The top 15 market geographies saw China make a great comeback, followed by Germany, Spain, Brazil, France, the United States, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan and Austria.

The presence of the media is growing compared to last year: 5,552 accredited journalists and communication professionals for a total of 6,778 admissions (50.4% from abroad).

The number of Italian and foreign students also increased, reaching 13,556, of which 8,368 were Italian (+25.5%), for an average overall growth of 18.8%. The interest of the public of design enthusiasts was consolidated over the weekend (32,567 attendance).

Thank you to the organisers and to all parties involved for another exquisite event. The Salone goes live once a year but its many manifestations and actions continue all year round. Stay tuned!

In photo bellow: Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano in an unexpected pose, ©Salone del Mobile.Milan

Until next year (8 - 13th of April 2025), support real, good design and designers in all sectors, wherever you are.

Much Love + Design 💙💚💋

A4D-D4A

For more bits and bytes on all things-design (this year's Salone del Mobile included), for our Insta press here, for FCBK press there.

 

Farewell to 2023, Peace & Justice 4 All.

In picture above a slide from the Sarah Schleuning vigorous presentation (Different by design: A New Model for Accessing Exhibitions) for the Museum and Justice colloquial event this month, run by CoMuseum at the Benaki Museum in Athens, GR. Sarah Schleuning is the Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, at the Dallas Museum of Art, U.S.A. She works intensively and for many years on the integration of social groups with special features such as autism, visual and hearing impairement, dyslexia et al., in the whole design exhibition experience, sharing and understanding.

Museums are political beings. Democracy continues to stay in peril, with censorship and the power of the majority to define and decide policies and results. AI regulation is going through continuous transformation and numerous missed opportunities for progress, just before we will end up with a satisfactory omnibus law and most importantly a system inspiring back our trust to local administrators.

We leave this year with a bag of New design Highlights to show the Way from now on, in a society hammered by turmoil. Content is King as it gets filtered by more documentation and criticism and less opinionated ephemera. 

It is a transitional year, hopefully leading to something more cohesive: a concrete space for neverending social challenges and changes, where design will always play the fundamental role. 

Happy New Year 2024.

🎊💙💚😻

A4D-D4A

Follow us on Insta: Katerina_Mourginaki

Follow us on FCBK: All4design - design4All

Epica Awards 2023: The Winners!

In a world that can be harsh, creativity can help us to overcome adversity. This is one of the messages emerging from the wonderful reel of different products and campaigns for the past year.

Epica Awards 2023: and yes that was a Wrap! The only international design, advertising and innovation awards nominated and given by the Press, independently, transparently and inclusively based on the most accurate yet expansive criteria, is now over with incredible works on the Gold categories and also some top choices (happy to see one of our votes from Japan here already ❤️) awarded the Grand Prix in each category by our Experts international jury in Brussels.

👋👋👋👁️👁️👁️

In detail concerning the Grand Prix Winners:

In the 2023 Epica Awards there were Grand Prix winners from the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and Japan. There were no Media or Print Grand Prix this year, as the jury felt the contenders were equal in terms of quality. Notably, McCann Worldgroup was Network of the Year at The Epica Awards for the sixth time.

The Grand Prix debate took place this year in Brussels in partnership with PUB magazine, EA Belgian jury member.

The President of the jury was Dagmara Szulce, Global Executive Director of the IAA.

GRAND PRIX

• RESPONSIBILITY: “The Last Photo”, Hope&Glory PR, UK, CALM

• PR: “The Brake Room”, McCann New York, Chick-fil-A

• DESIGN: “ADLAM: An Alphabet to Preserve A Culture”, McCann New York, Microsoft ✨🌹

• INNOVATION: “The Mammoth Meatball”, VML, Netherlands, Vow

• DIGITAL: “Where To Settle”, McCann Poland, Mastercard

• FILM: “Train Of Memories,” SIX Inc, Japan, Sotetsu Holdings (in top photo above). ✨🌹

• NETWORK OF THE YEAR: McCann Worldgroup

• AGENCY OF THE YEAR: McCann NY

The Responsibility Grand Prix – celebrating work for good causes – went to PR agency Hope&Glory for the media campaign behind “The Last Photo”, for the charity CALM, an unexpected and moving perspective on the taboo subject of suicide.

Don Ferguson, Deputy Managing Director, Hope&GloryPR, said: “Winning the Grand Prix is both immensely exciting and humbling in equal measure, especially considering the level of work it's up against and the fact an Epica is the only award exclusively voted for by journalists worldwide. It's a campaign we are incredibly proud of and share the plaudits with all of the incredible people at adam&eveDDB, The7stars and, of course, CALM.”

The PR Grand Prix went to McCann New York for “The Brake Room”, a restroom created on behalf of Chick-fil-A for food delivery couriers, so they could shelter from harsh weather and the stresses of their job.The concept has spread to other brands and cities.

The Design Grand Prix, another win for McCann New York, went to the fantastic ADLAM project, in which Microsoft helped preserve a disappearing culture by digitizing an alphabet that had only existed in a handful of notebooks, thus making it available to write, read and learn worldwide.

In what turned out to be a landmark year for McCann, the Digital Grand Prix went to McCann Poland for Mastercard’s “Where To Settle”, which used Mastercard data to enable Ukrainian refugees in Poland to identify towns where it might be easier to find work and housing, rather than the main urban centres.

The Innovation Grand Prix went to VML for “The Mammoth Meatball”, a scientific feat that involved recreating mammoth meat from the extinct animal’s DNA, to promote lab-grown meat.

Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer Innovation & EMEA CCO, VML, commented: “The Epica Awards are unique. And I couldn’t be happier to win the Grand Prix in Innovation, because I strongly believe we can think our way out of the problems we’re facing in the world today. Cultured meat is one of those solutions. And through this project, the world knows a bit more about its incredible potential.”

Finally, the Film Grand Prix was won by SIX Inc Japan for “Train Of Memories”. In a single shot using several actors, it depicts a father and daughter on their daily train journey, while showing how their relationship evolves as they age. The jury praised its refined craft, including copywriting and music.

Yuta Okuyama, Creative Director of SIX Inc, said: “We are very honored to be selected by journalists with insightful and cutting-edge perspectives. In an era where AI-generated creative production frequently makes headlines, we are very proud of being recognized for our work crafted by human hands.”

McCann’s run of prizes meant that it was once again Network of the Year. Javier Campopiano, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, McCann Worldgroup, said: “The Epica jury composed of industry reporters is a breath of fresh air. Even more as we share something truly important with journalism: a relentless pursuit of the truth, – which underpins our mantra and the way we get to ideas: ‘Truth Well Told.’  In an era when truth is constantly under attack, celebrating these ideas is more important than it has ever been. Thanks to the Epica Awards for these honors, and to our clients for their trust and partnership.”

Commenting on McCann New York’s multiple wins, which propelled it to Agency of the Year status, Shayne Millington, Chief Creative Officer, McCann New York, said:  “McCann New York is beyond honored to be recognized as Agency of the Year by the Epica Awards. Thank you to our clients at Mastercard, Microsoft and Chick-fil-A for being incredible partners in bringing these powerful stories and ideas to the world, and to our colleagues at McCann Poland, who were instrumental in the creation of Where to Settle. It is especially meaningful to be recognized by the journalists who have the clearest view and most objective lens on all the incredible work coming from our industry around the globe.”

Commenting on the awards overall, jury President Dagmara Szulce, Global Executive Director of the IAA, said: “Journalists need to be heard in the world of awards. They bring objectivity, keep us honest and are connected to the culture. And as reporters they provide a critical eye which helps to raise the bar. Not surprisingly, once again this year they awarded ideas that are fresh, innovative, authentic and true to the brand purpose. The quality of work in the Responsibility field was particularly high and I’d love to see even more creatives engaged in that space. Overall, it was inspiring to hear the variety of opinions expressed by leading journalists on an international jury and how they arrived at a consensus.”

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Entrants & Entries by Country:

The highest number of entries this year came from Canada (296) followed by Germany (202), France (138), the United States (126), and the United Kingdom (125). In terms of networks, Publicis, McCann Worldgroup, Dentsu and VML (the newly combined VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson) were particularly well represented.

You will find full details of all the winners on the EA website at www.epica-awards.com

Founded in 1987, Epica is the only global creative award judged by journalists from the marketing, design and advertising press, as well as specialist reporters in fields ranging from automotive to production.

Check the link to watch in full all the Awards and the Winners  in the official Epica Awards website: 

https://www.epica-awards.com/news/2023-winners-announcement

Thank you EA for this experience as a jury member and for the incredibly talented creatives you gathered around your cause.

With much love 💙💚🤩

A4D-D4A

EPICA AWARDS 2023…Drumroll!

Hey there😎

Just a quick note to remind you to save the date for the winners announcement, that will take place on Thursday December 7th at 7PM CET (Paris time).

You can share the stream of this year’s ceremony with this link to the Epica Awards official website: https://www.epica-awards.com/news/2023-winners-announcement 

Stream like a proper creative mermaid here then.

With much love, enjoy next week only the best of creativity in design, vis com, advertising and beyond.

A4D-D4A💙💚🌞

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023! HEALTH, LOVE, CREATIVITY AND CONSCIOUS DESIGN 4 A BETTER WORLD.

 🙏💗💨💪

LOTS OF LOVE & BEST WISHES 4 ALL!!!

A4D-D4A💙💚🙋

#NoMoreFear