nendo : whispers of nature

A solo exhibition consisting of five collections, shown during Milan Design Week 2024. The venue of the show was a large industrial complex transformed by “Paola Lenti” into a bioecological architectural site various functions, such as an office, showroom, gallery space, and a restaurant, arranged around a large central courtyard. The exhibition was held in a small abandoned building within the site which is set to be converted to a boutique hotel in 2026.

In 2004, nendo participated in the SaloneSatellite during the design fair, which opened the door for the studio to establish numerous collaborations with European companies. The show, which exhibited furniture pieces inspired by natural principles and phenomena, was called “fur:nature,” deriving from “furniture” and “nature.” Now, 20 years later, the exhibition returns to the theme of nature—a theme at the root of nendo’s design, and central to the Japanese sense of beauty.

The ambiguity of clouds, the relationship of light and shadow, the flow of time perceived underground or in a passing rain, plants soaked in water… The five collections take hints from mundane “whispers of nature” that often get overlooked.

Client:
Milan Design Week
Collaborator:
Shota Tao
Sherry Huang
Katsuaki Kobayashi
Yosuke Matsushita
Naoko Nishizumi
Chihiro Yamamoto
Yushiro Yamanaka
Arata Nishikawa
Takahiro Fukino
Yuumi Abe
Sayaka Ito
Moreno Vannini
2024.04