Show and tell: Performance craft takes over Fendi

Milan – Emerging international designers creating new works with a diverse range of raw materials such as boiled leather, common household goods and luxury accessories will take over the Spazio Fendi as part of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile later this month. These interactive experimentations are part of ‘Craft Punk’, the series of design performances that are one of the highlights of Design Miami. The art performances are temporarily setting up in Milan, occupying the 750-square-metre Fendi space to present action-based design featuring music, video and debate.

‘Craft Punk’ puts the focus on handcraft over mass-production, and creative brilliance over budget. ‘We want people to reapproach the word ‘craft’ by reclaiming it from the world of folksy quilting and re-engaging with the simple notion of things made by hand,’ says Ambra Medda, co-founder of Design Miami. ‘‘Craft Punk’ is about showing a talented designer’s brilliant innovation, even when faced with a tiny budget.’ The collaboration with Fendi can’t hurt, though – designers will have access to leftover materials from the production process, such as the Italian brand’s fabrics and famous Selleria leather, as well as the knowledge of in-house artisans.

Among the artists and collectives working live at ‘Craft Punk’ from 22–24 April are Simon Hasan, who will boil leather to transform its texture and aesthetic properties; Raw-Edges, who will borrow folding techniques from fashion production to create paper furniture; and Yuri Suzuki and Household, who will craft a large-scale animatronic machine from discarded everyday objects.

Read more about Milan Design Week 09 in our forthcoming preview and follow our coverage of the event.