What do you do when it´s mid-april and you are waiting a month for a visa? You could go to Milan I suppose, (if the pieces sum up for it so to say).In the name of spontaenity this became my choice, and I know I was criticized for it, but I also had my reasons.
It just happens that this is a wish for many others too; most of which are concerned with the way things look. The way things behave. The way things comply. The way things flash. You name it. I say thing because it is the one word that encompasses all. Vague and general, but nonexclusive. You could go and chart a cluster and try to categorize this sea of movements, and what are the general trends towards the material we are surrounded by.
I was interested to go there for many reasons – reconnecting with my friend Stefano whom worked with me in Munich; and experiencing what is described as the largest design event globally. I experienced it as a quite varied event, and would not leave it to the main category of furniture only. It does naturally encompass a certain digital component; as our homes are becoming more technologically embraced. I mention this because there are design events purely focused on this; such as ARS in Austria, or design versus technology at FITC in Toronto which I would believe are quite different from the Milan design week.
Now this image above may incline towards the fashion industry, and not be the photographic illustration of what this event is about, but what I want to share is not a narrative over the trends in design (that is so beyond my scope, but I might try at a miniscule level), but a few selections of personalities and feels that caught my interest during this week.
I saw these two gentlemen (let´s assume the best first right), as we arrived to Salone, and exuberating their presence via just the way they looked. I thought it was so milanesque the whole context, and my instinct called me to converse and get a photo of this moment.
If I could´ve gone back to this moment I would have tried to make a single portrait of the Russian eccentric on the left, he was quite interesting. The other guy I believe was his agent from Bresca. Richard and Sergei.
A few minutes before Salone was shutting down (Satelite department, where all the young designers exhibit), I was rushing through to try to see as much as possible the best of what was there. The last location was with a group of Austrian Designers from Innsbruck, whom where presenting for the fourth year in a row or so, and admittedly their last time this year. You are not allowed to exhibit after a certain age group.
They had the most homely stand of all; this feeling of being on a mountain came through, and particularily so when all the designers where there and exchanging some thoughts in German. Then it was like relocating to the alpes if you could ignore the rest of the surroundings.
Anyways, Nina was the girl sitting there and I thought she was very photogenic and an interesting study. Then her partners came and offered us some prosecco, and mentioned the guy with the hasselblad who had walked by them earlier. I had to say, “yeah I never go unnoticed with this baby”. It allowed for a nice encounter and the chance to make some frames of some designers.
Honestly, when seeing their promotional material they lack no form of professionalism, but I don´t get the feeling of the things the way they were presented here. So, this was pudelskern.
We were enjoying those proseccos; any chance to sit down to is always appreciated in an event like this; you walk forever. Your feet really pay for that. Nina was thinking less about the camera as we intermingled and that is the best chance to get a lively frame.
I don´t know if these two girls were exhibiting, looked rather like a scene from the fashion week; it was really like they were staging for a photo to be made. She gave me a questioning look aftwerwards, but she must know I am harmless.
It was certainly among the days were the volcano ash was affecting air traffic worldwide. What could ever make an impact on the culture of clicks like this? And I am always curious what happens with their compact flash cards after their european travels.
I overheard him ask the girl in the stand opposite him, and he was talking about some stuff being stolen.
They were two sweet girls, and it would be so funny and coincidental if they would be what the names imply respectively. Must have been interesting to see the world from their perspective.
I made some frames with the olympus from the same day as well, have not had the time to see them yet, but the tendency is to dedicate more attention to medium format photography, because the photos have such incredible elevation in terms of resolution.
The press photographer makes a self portrait at the end of the event.
