Alcova 2025 Returns to Varedo, Reshaping the Contemporary Design Landscape
Alcova, the event dedicated to experimental design curated by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, returns to Varedo and reaffirms itself as one of the most intriguing events of the entire Milan Design Week. The project, which opened recently, spans four venues with a unique and diverse charm: alongside the historic Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, this year’s edition also includes the Serre di Pasino and the former SNIA factory, spaces where nature intertwines with the traces of industry and the passage of time. These exceptional locations guide visitors through an eclectic journey, offering them the chance to explore the research and work of international designers through site-specific installations or works that engage with the identity of each environment.
Some examples? At the Serre di Pasino, Marcin Rusak’s installation “Ghost Orchids” weaves together personal and botanical memories, while “Soft Horizons” celebrates the lightness of Greek marble. At the former SNIA factory, “Under the Volcano” presents a new lava stone collection by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces. At Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, ANANASANANAS and Parasite 2.0 reflect on the impact of food production, while Rive Roshan transforms the fountain with a shimmering installation. Lastly, at Villa Borsani, Faye Toogood unveils a new ceramics collection, Objects of Common Interest works with light, and Supaform and Atelier dell’Errore tell stories of new ways to inhabit the imagination, through objects and fantastic creatures.
The opening of the event, now in its ninth edition, saw many figures from the Italian and international creative scene. Among those we captured at Say Who were Andrea Rosso and Fabiola di Virgilio, Victoria Cabello, Alexander Werz, Francesco Mandelli and Luisa Bertoldo, Massimo Giorgetti, Matteo Morbidi, and Luca Lo Pinto.
Text: Germano D’Acquisto
Photos: Ludovica Arcero and Niccolò Campita
