The 21st edition of the “Compasso D’Oro” Awards has just concluded. The theme was security and functionality and included domestic objects that may already be in our homes.

Two of the winners were Marc Sadler for “Big”, a modular library with essential lines made from extruded aluminium for Caimi Brevetti.
And Eero Aarnio for his multifunctional child’s rocking chair designed for Magis.

The show continues at Venaria Reale Palace in Turin until 31 August.

Technorati Tags: design, Marc Sadler, Eero aarnio, Magis, Caimi Brevetti

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In London, you can now have a cup of tea in a sitting room with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit.

The largest salon in the world has been set up in the courtyard of Somerset House, an 18th-century ducal palace that has become a cultural center.

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Mathieu Lehanneur is the eclectic curator of a display project realized for the Y’s line by Mandarina Duck.
The images - of backlit shelves and modular display cases in the form of beehives - were published in the 135th issue of the French magazine Intramuros. 
Lehanneur is inspired by nature, for which he has great respect.

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Giulio Iacchetti - creator of the “Mandarina” ergonomic pen – has experimented with wooden knives for the Italian company Coltelleria Berti and presented them at the most recent edition of the Furniture Show in Milan.
He had spent a month hand carving 22 knives, each made from a different type of wood with a unique aroma and soul.

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Have you ever seen mannequins leaning on lampposts, naked men hanging from windows, anarchic rats, destroyed telephone booths or cinema parodies?
Then you’ve had the luck of admiring the work of Bansky, the faceless author who writes about himself in a book on graphotism. 

Street art is becoming a worldwide cult. In California, there’s even the “Oasis of Murals“, an outdoor gallery dedicated to wall art.

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Transforming. Recycling Sustainable future.
These are the key words of Eco Design.
A new trend with roots in the past. From time immemorial, people have tried to use and reuse what they had. The Industrial Revolution and consumerism have eliminated this way of life, which is now, however, being brought back to bring us closer to nature.

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Tal R has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Egg Chair by recovering it with patchwork fabrics from his collection.

The Israeli-born artist has created handmade looks for the armchair that was designed by Arne Jacobsen for the Danish company Fritz Hansen.

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If I was in Milan in these days, I would have gone to Palazzo Reale to see Leonardo’s “Last Supper” come to life.
The English artist and film director Peter Greenaway has created a multimedia event, where every twenty minutes the famous masterpiece comes alive with poetry, music, lights and 3D projections.
Until 21 April, you can enjoy this presentation of a perfectly cloned “Last Supper”.
I wonder how many people have already succumbed to Stendhal Syndrome?

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Industrial design is a contemporary art form. And now the first ever beauty contest for objects, PULCHRA, is taking place.

Its highly qualified jury, made up of international all-stars in design and architecture (Italo Lupi, Alessandro Mendini, Sandro Silvi and Matteo Vercelloni), has already selected the 100 candidate products.

Throughout 2008, you will be able to vote for the best 10 objects to be sent into the future.

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Torino is not just about gianduiotti chocolates.

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design has chosen Torino as the first World Design Capital for the year 2008 along with the theme of ‘Flexibility‘.

The city of the Savoy family and ‘Made in Italy’ ingenuity are being called upon to demonstrate their value on an international level by promoting development plans for the both the urban and surrounding areas.

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