April 2025 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
LUCAS ZITO TAKES OVER MILAN
words Onur Baştürk
During Milan Design Week, your designs will be showcased across eight different venues throughout the city, almost as if you're set to take over with your creations. How did this extensive exhibition and organizational process come together, and which exhibitions should we be sure to see in sequence?
I enjoy sharing my work within different contexts. Fortunately, there are even more possibilities than last year! During this year’s Milan Design Week, my work will be exhibited at eight distinct presentations:
- GOOD SELECTION
In addition to my Pan and Patch collections, previews of the works of 60 other designers will be featured.
(Via Santa Cecilia 12B, Varedo)
- NO SELECTION
A special exhibition, highlighting the creative process of 41 of the 61 GOOD SELECTION designers.
(BIM, Viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli 10)
- MASTERLY / The Dutch in Milano
Presentation of a 6m-high light installation from the Ivy collection.
(Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, Piazza dei Mercanti 2)
- LABÒ / Cultural Project
Presentation with Modern Metier of the Buoy Café collection.
(Fondazione Rodolfo Ferrari, Via Biella 6)
- ForA / La Fabbrica del Vapore
Presentation of select pieces from my new Patch collection.
(Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini 4)
- COMUNE
Presentation with Polish design collective Dérive.
(Superspatial, Via Nicola Antonio Porpora 126)
- GALLERIA ROSSANA ORLANDI / RoCollectible
Presentation of a special edition of the Buoy Offcut range, from the coffee-colored Dolls collection.
(Via Matteo Bandello 14-16)
- ATLAS CONCORDE STUDIO MILANO
Presentation of the Buoy floor lamps and Offcuts in the center of Brera.
(Via San Marco 12)
AN EXHIBITION FOR US, BY US
Among these exhibitions, the GOOD SELECTION—launched with Marika Caputo—stands out. What inspired the idea of curating an exhibition that brings together over 60 designers?
GOOD SELECTION is a group exhibition, initiated and orchestrated by me and Marika Caputo, stands out for its collaborative ambition and international scope. It brings together over 60 international designers in a spirit of collaboration and networking. Conceived as a laboratory for encounters and exchanges, the exhibition brings together talents from all over Europe and beyond, offering an insight into contemporary creation in all its forms. After the first successful edition during Paris Design Week, GOOD SELECTION moves to a former furniture factory in Varedo with a 300 m2 space during Milan Design Week.
In an increasingly dominated sector by complex commercial mechanisms, GOOD SELECTION is an accessible and non-profit alternative that frees artists from intermediaries and the high economic impositions characterizing the traditional design market. The elimination of any type of filter creates a more transparent and accessible sales system, giving full autonomy back to the designers. The exhibition of works does not imply giving up one’s economic autonomy; on the contrary, the sale guarantees a full profit for the artist, without any commission.
“An exhibition for us, by us” is the motto that encapsulates the spirit of the project: an exhibition conceived and realized by designers, for designers. This is precisely why the project carries an intrinsic and indissoluble bond between artists in its DNA, rooted in the mutual awareness of being understood and valued.
Although the excellence of design is showcased, the silent struggles of each artist are never forgotten: the twists and turns of the paths that lead designers to be recognized as such are often the common denominator. In fact, every artist shares an experience that translates into an authentic connection, fostering the creation of a dynamic and self-sustaining community where collaboration and mutual support are fundamental pillars. Similarly, for the works, what is sought is the complementarity and completeness of the pieces: the goal is to incorporate a wide variety of techniques, cultures, and disciplines, hoping that these can serve as inspiration for others and a stimulus for growth. In this new scenario, the artist is no longer just a creator but also a promoter and guardian of their own value, capable of establishing an authentic relationship with the public that enriches them in every way.
The exhibition unfolds through different setups, where objects from various artists interact with each other, creating micro-scenarios that are either opposite or complementary. Each pairing becomes an act of enhancement, a moment in which the object itself emerges, revealing new potential. In this space, the exhibition transforms into a true promenade through different works and personalities: a path that guides the spectator, allowing them to immerse themselves in a plurality of universes, each with its own evocative power and perceptual capacity.
Each scenario will be designed so that the relationship between the observer and the object is direct, encouraging true immersion. The fluid exploration of the space and objects in their entirety will enable the audience to feel more involved. The intent, in fact, is not to elevate the object to the status of a work of art by isolating it, but rather to bring it closer to the audience, so that it can be experienced personally and, most importantly, connected to each individual’s daily life.
I ORIENTED MYSELF MORE TOWARD THE GENERAL DESIRE TO CREATE VALUE
Since the beginning, your design approach has focused on merging aesthetics and functionality through ecological sustainability. Your 3D-printed designs have become your signature, and with the Buoy collection, you've captured widespread admiration. Have you integrated any new techniques or technologies into your eco-sustainability approach, or in other words, what additional measures have you taken to enhance this approach?
I oriented myself more toward the general desire to create value, whether that value is expressed in physical forms or remains something to carry and embody. For this reason, alongside my constant experimentation with materials and forms, in September 2024 during the Paris Design Week, GOOD SELECTION was born, marking the beginning of a new direction, that of curating. The project embodies a value that transcends materiality, formed through cohesion, dialogue, and the creation of connections. It is not merely a showcase for design, but a bearer of a collective vision that unites artists with the intention of enhancing the power of collaboration and community.
What are the key elements you consider most important in eco-sustainable design?
Next to durability and recycled material especially beauty and quality so the owner/ user will respect, cherish and take good care of it which increases the life-span and reduces the ecological footprint.
I ENJOY FOCUSING ON LIGHTING, TRANSLUCENCY AND THE INTERPLAY WITH SCALE
Why choose lighting design? Do you plan to venture into other design fields as well?
I enjoy focusing on lighting, translucency and the interplay with scale. My particular interest is to make light palpable and dense through the use of transparent materials refracting and diffracting the light.
