Discourse framed by Prada
Shaping a brand's image by sharing knowledge and visionary insights.
If I had to pick an overall winner of this year’s Milan Design Week, it wouldn't be a product or a new collaboration, it would be a symposium held over three days at the start of the busy week before the Salone del Mobile furniture fair.
Why am I even writing about it? What used to be a week focused on design and furniture, Milan Design Week, has in recent years shifted into a huge brand activation, product and collaboration circus, with car companies teaming up with design, restaurants hosting creative people or presenting new cookware, fashion brands diving into the world of interior and product design - apart from their clothing and accessories. I mean, you have to jump on the train, don't you?
But one major fashion house, instead of presenting a product or launching a special item, created a meaningful space for discourse and theory and stood out.
Being home
Now in its third year, Milanese fashion and philanthropy powerhouse Prada presents Prada Frames, a symposium curated by Formafantasma, the Milanese design studio led by Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi. The designers work with many brands on design & furniture, their studio investigates the ecological, historical and social forces shaping the discipline of design today – but for the Prada Frames format, they become hosts for intellectual, political and cultural exchange.
In the heart of Milan's fashion district, in this year's venue, the Bagatti Valsecchi museum, many international intellectuals, designers, architects, philosophers, researchers and thinkers came together in intimate keynote sessions to talk about 'being home', which was also the title of the multidisciplinary symposium.
With an introduction by design critic and writer Alice Rawsthorn before each session, speakers such as London-based architect Jayden Ali and biologist Brigitte Baptiste spoke about the complex relationship between our natural environment, human heritage and design. Actress and activist Isabella Rossellini gave a video interview about being creative in her home, and scientist Francoise Vergès discussed the power dynamics of water. It was refreshing to listen to the sessions and experience how our modern and future world is built around the idea and desire to be 'at home'. Whether it is to rest, to be intimate, to be productive or just to be – home has been, historically, a space where socio-economic norms have been shaped – and it will be also in the future, hopefully.
A space for discourse & knowledge
Leading AI researcher and artist Kate Crawford gave a keynote speech on the rise of artificial intelligence in our homes and how it is changing the political, power and work relationship. In other words, even if AI can potentially help you be smarter, the downsides and negative impacts on society and the environment are greater. Several other panelists throughout the days also explored our relationship as humans to nature and technology, and how our ongoing process of becoming cyborgs is already well advanced in some societies.
“Everytime you ask Chat GPT, a single query, that is using somewhere like 30 to 50 times the amount of energy than a single traditional web search.”
Kate Crawford
Go critical thinking
I was lucky enough to be able to attend several of the presentations and talks and was surprised at how unfiltered and open each of the panelists was. The audience was confronted with uncomfortable topics and truths. Because I’d say, design is more than just products, design is what shapes the world and how we as humans define our environment, whether by hand or with the help of technology.
Prada Frames was neither a presentation of products nor an introduction to new commercial ideas - it was a pure collection of research, vision and the sharing of knowledge and wisdom by humanists, at a time when critical thinking is increasingly being swallowed up by the surface of visually appealing goods and images or by the rise of technological developments.
In short, sharing knowledge and creating spaces for discourse is, in my view, currently the best marketing you can do. And finally, wouldn’t we all like to wear the sleek outfits worn by the hosts, Formafantasma, and some of their guests, who wore nothing but Prada during the sessions?
*Moritz
All the sessions of the symposium have been recorded and are now available now on KoozArch and on all podcast platforms.