Milano Design Week 2026
Set within a deeply immersive environment, the collective exhibition Shared Matter unfolds at the intersection of experimentation, material reality, and speculation – where process is as significant as outcome. Developed through research and practice in dialogue with international partners, each work reveals how collaboration propels design practices toward openness, responsibility and innovation. Across sound, light, and material, these projects articulate forms of making rooted in care and the ethical considerations that arise when working across contexts. By foregrounding the shared knowledge, concerns, and ideas embedded in each work, Shared Matter frames the design of tomorrow as a relational practice – one that connects people not only to objects, but, perhaps more importantly, to one another.
Chord
Machine
AKT-0.1
Blending traditional craftsmanship with interaction design and Swiss quality standards, the Chord Machine AKT-0.1 is an innovative musical instrument that reinvents how chords are played. Its minimalist design, inspired by Dieter Rams' aesthetic principles, and user-friendly interface enable anyone, regardless of musical training, to explore rich harmonic combinations quickly and enjoyably. With first prototypes developed in a luthier's workshop in Athens, the production was realised within China's rich manufacturing ecosystem, in collaboration with partners in Greece, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
- Designed by Akuto Studio (CH)
- Ideation during Coder le Monde (FR)
- In collaboration with ECAL (CH), Vasilis Kouikoglou Lutherie (GR), Concept Audio (CN), Bureau Strada (CH), Helixbyte (CH)
iiode’s Re27 is a retrofit lighting module offering natural light quality and gentle smart control within a serviceable, standard E27 bulb made from recycled materials. Designed to be repairable and manufactured in Switzerland with parts sourced across Europe, Re27 reflects a considered approach to production, supported by a transparent supply chain developed with international partners. By focusing complexity at the light source, Re27 enables existing luminaires to be updated and supports new fixtures across many forms. Re27 is lighting made conscious.
- Designed by Noelani Rutz (CH)
- In collaboration with the maker Sugiura Seito Co., Ltd. (JP)
- Produced by Tajimi Custom Tiles (JP)
Project:
Fleeting
landscapes
Resistant to temperature and time, clay preserves the impermanence of form and texture. Fleeting landscapes take the form of two tile collections that examine clay’s materiality in relation to the dual nature of snow. Developed during the 2025 Design with Japan Pro Helvetia program and produced by Tajimi Custom Tiles with the maker Sugiura Seito Co., Ltd., the collections investigates two countries' long-standing tradition of observing and adapting to snow’s ephemeral presence. Whether through direct casting or glaze translations, they speak to the seasonal and ecological fragility of snow–a quiet reminder of unavoidable change.
- Designed by Noelani Rutz (CH)
- In collaboration with the maker Sugiura Seito Co., Ltd. (JP)
- Produced by Tajimi Custom Tiles (JP)
Hall Lamp
Hall Lamp is a floor lamp crafted from an extruded aluminum pipe and manufactured with a range of gradient colour treatments. Equipped with a dimmable LED, it offers adaptable lighting to suit a range of settings and moods, making it both a functional and sculptural piece. Designed by Panter & Tourron, the lamp is the result of a close collaboration with the Italian lighting company From Lighting. Within the frame of a project initiated by Profiler.world, a limited edition was developed in partnership with the BWB Surface Technology for the anodisation process.
- Designed by Panter&Tourron (CH, FR, IT)
- Produced by From Lighting (IT)
- In partnership with the BWB Surface Technology (CH)
Paper Glasses
Drawing on the potential of 3D-molded paper, Paper Glasses proposes a natural and sustainable alternative to single-use plastic cups. Produced with molds coated in beeswax, its translucent form offers a tactile and visual experience typically associated with glass–reintroducing a sense of care and transparency in use, while remaining fully biodegradable. Developed during a Pro Helvetia research residency at the Róng Design Library in China, the project emerged from close collaboration with papermakers in Yunnan, blending traditional techniques with contemporary product design.
- Designed by Silvio Rebholz (CH, DE)
- Developed at Róng Design Library (CN)
- With the support of 张国弟 / Guodi Zhang and 和树昆 / Shukun He (CN)
Sapin-Sapin
Sapin-Sapin is a multifunctional mat that can be folded into a low seating object, laid on the floor for sitting or resting, or installed as a hanging room divider. Handwoven from karagumoy leaves (pandanus simplex), it brings together traditional techniques and contemporary design to create a flexible, tactile object for everyday use. Combining their research and design backgrounds to produce a single object, Vera Roggli and Julia Villamonte developed the piece in close collaboration with weaving workshops in Julia’s hometown of Labo, in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines—connecting design, craft, and local expertise.
- Designed collaboratively by Vera Roggli (CH) and Julia Villamonte (PH)
- With weaving communities of Labo, province of Camarines Norte (PH)