NEOREAL

Canon's NEOREAL exhibition at Milan's Triennale as part of Salone 2009 included a projector that adds a funk factor into your shadow. The other ethereal underwater display projected jellyfish onto a maze of canopies - if you touched the blank canopy jellyfish came wobbling into focus.

Lexus L-Finesse at Salone

Following from Lexus's successful collaboration with Nendo last year with their "Diamond chair" this year Lexus invited Architect Sou Fujimoto to design its Lexus L-finesse 'crystallised wind' exhibition as a part of Salone. A full-sized LF-A sports car was on display alongside specially commissioned furniture in acrylic in what Fujimoto was aiming to be an "emotional" installation at the Museo della Permanente gallery in Milan.

Collectable Confectionery

This lovely Portuguese confectionery brand Boa Boca Gourmet won a Red dot for exceptional packaging. They were on display at the Portugal Brands exhibition at Salone 2009.

Homage to Mondrian

Italian Cappellini launhced this geometric cabinet called Homage to Mondrian at Salone this week by Shiro Kuramata evoking the colour palette of the Dutch artist.

Light of my Life

The biennial lighting fair Euroluce 2009 was where the big lights were this week. It's a side-kick to Milan's Salone del Mobile and the Italian brand Foscarini's installation designed by Vicente Garcia Jimenez was a cavernous, kalaedoscopic affair.

A new light that launched at Foscarini's Euroluce stand called Tress by Marc Sadler looms in the foreground.

Tress comes in pendant, desk and upright form. The first production run has already sold out. It's all woven loveliness.

Bathroom Basics

No excuses to be dirty now that Italian Patricia Urquiola has brought out this lovely rustic tub teak shelfed tub for the Agape. Called the "Vieques", it was originally built for a luxury hotel in Vieques, Sao Paolo. This is the domestic version. Was displayed for the first time at the Via Durini store this week as part of the I Salone.

New heavy-weight design brand to launch at Salone

No-one thought a cracking recession would herald one of the biggest new launches in furniture. But when Renato Preti's new design brand SKITSCH launches at Salone this year it will make big waves. It's entering the market with no expense spared and supported by big backers such as the president of MDF and 27 big name designers together with upcoming talent get ready for something exciting. Designers such as Fernando and Humberto Campanas, Maarten Baas, Front, Dovetusai, Konstantin Grcic, Xavier Lust, Bertjan Pot, Paolo Ullian and Philippe Nigro among others will unveil 45 projects at this year's Salone 2009 in the new super-brand's permanent home - a huge flagship store on Via Monte di Pieta.


Here's a preview of five of the 45 projects to be presented.

Cubist recliner by Jeffrey Bernett

Hidden Bookshelf

Table by Philippe Nigro

Chair by Konstantin Grcic

Scratch

Italian Cappelini like sybillants. Last year they launched Adam Goodrum's playful Stitch chair and this year they will unveil the "Scratch". The decidedly unitchy "Scratch" is designed by Patrick Norguet and is made from solid ash-wood slats. This is a pre-Salone 2009 sneak peak.




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