Brands swapped bright lights for low-lit mystery. Environments responded to movement. Spaces shimmered with reflections and flickered with fog. It was all about sensory illusion. Immersive, emotive and rich with mood.
Mirrors multiplied the moment. Smoke blurred the edges. Sensors brought spaces to life. With tech as the tool, installations drew us in, held our gaze and played with perception.
Google’s installation Making The Invisible Visible, created with artist Lachlan Turczan, turned light into something to be touched, not just seen.
A wash of mist, responsive beams and spatial sound created a living artwork that shifted with every visitor. Touch, movement and voice shaped the space. We especially loved the imperfection of the interaction. Sometimes the light responded instantly, sometimes not at all. That unpredictability kept us coming back. Watching, moving, trying again.
At Palazzo del Senato, Lavazza’s 130th anniversary was celebrated with a sensory journey rooted in the warmth of coffee and the depth of nature.
Visitors moved through a flickering corridor into a lush rain room, where falling water and rainforest foliage nodded to the origins of the bean. Earthy tones, mist and low lighting wrapped the experience in intimacy. The new sustainable coffee pod, made entirely from compressed coffee, was revealed as the centrepiece. Simple, sensory storytelling with a clear message.
Kia delivered pure spectacle with a series of installations created with artist A. A. Murakami.
It opened in near-darkness, a square pool shimmering at the centre. Mechanical arms rose slowly from the water, gliding like creatures. Accordion structures lined the space, rising and falling with a mechanical breath. In the second room, machines released smoke-filled bubbles that hovered, popped and bounced in the air. As more machines joined in, the experience built to a surreal crescendo. Mesmerising, visceral and totally unexpected.
This year, Milan didn’t just show design. It conjured it. Fog and flicker. Reflection and rhythm. Spaces layered light and illusion, creating experiences that lingered long after we’d left.
Looking to shape something unforgettable? Let’s chat.
