MADtastic! Fresh Design From Madrid - From 10 April to 31 May, the Instituto Cervantes of Milan

Yes, very fresh indeed. Haven't you heard about it yet? Don’t worry. The design editor of Neo2 magazine, Javier Abio, and its editor-at-large, Tachy Mora, are here to tell you what is happening in the exciting product design scene of Madrid.

From 10 April to 31 May, the Instituto Cervantes of Milan is hosting the exhibition MADtastic! Fresh Design From Madrid, a collection of pieces of furniture and accessories that gathers the most interesting product design works made in recent months in the capital of Spain, both by big or emerging companies and designers from the city or foreigners who have developed a project of any relevance.

The cutting-edge publication from the capital of Spain, Neo2 magazine, along with the designers association of Madrid, Dimad, and the Istituto Europeo di Design of the city have teamed up to put together an exhibition that highlights the creative moment that the city is embracing. A rather unknown metropolis, but at the same time, a famous city for its lively nightlife and friendly people from many places of Spain itself and also from the rest of the world. In reality, it is difficult to find a truly authentic 'gato', translated as 'cat', which is the slang used for those born and bred in Madrid.

In the past two years, the Spanish capital has flourished. It seems that both the real gatos and those adopted ones refuse to be defeated by the economic crisis. On the one hand, it is said that the crisis has driven forward this creative boom since there is a need to develop more creative and competitive enterprises to survive. On the other hand, some people think that it is caused just because of a better educational system. Both theories could be right, as they are complementary.

In fact, schools and universities of Madrid are actually offering a better education, and they are launching emerging talents as well. Some of them settle and even set their own studio up in Madrid. Others leave after tasting the city, but at the same time they leave a trace on their people. The cultural exchange has lately increased considerably as a result. This is why MADtastic! Fresh Design From Madrid has also the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Madrid as a promoter, including a selection of recent projects from its international Master of Design and Innovation, run by the renowned designer Jaime Hayon (a genuine cat, by the way).

The curators of the exhibition are Tachy Mora, an independent journalist specialising in design, and Javier Abio, design editor of Neo2 magazine. They have been in charge of searching carefully for those emerging people and cutting-edge works, which are also the most distinctive features of the articles usually released in this legendary magazine from Madrid founded in the early nineties. The compendium ranges from very technological pieces to craft objects; some already have international distribution, others are new prototypes waiting to be discovered. Do not miss it.

Instituto Cervantes of Milan, Via Dante, 12. Opening hours, from Monday to Friday: 15.00 – 19.00.