The Most Exciting Exhibits to Check Out at Fuorisalone

As Fuorisalone returns to Milan, the city once again opens itself up as a platform for design that exists far beyond traditional exhibition spaces. Taking place across neighbourhoods including Brera and Tortona, the programme brings together a wide range of public installations and experimental showcases set within courtyards, studios, streets and repurposed industrial sites. Created by both established names and emerging designers, these exhibits invite a broader audience to engage with contemporary design in a more accessible and immediate way.

Here is a curated selection of some of the most compelling exhibits to look out for this year, each offering a distinct perspective on design, material and space:

Serotonin – the chemistry of happiness

Set in the Loggia of the Pinacoteca di Brera during Fuorisalone, American Express will present  “Serotonin – the chemistry of happiness” by Sara Ricciardi. The immersive installation will translate serotonin into a sensory environment of pulsing inflatable forms, exploring the link between beauty and emotion. Visitors will experience a rhythmic, breathing space that will reflect how design can shape feelings of joy and wellbeing in Milan.

When Apricots Blossom

Set within Palazzo Citterio during Fuorisalone, When Apricots Blossom is an immersive exhibition inspired by Uzbek poetry and centred on themes of resilience, heritage and renewal. Curated by Kulapat Yantrasast, it brings together installations, craft-based design and film to explore the cultural legacy of the Aral Sea region, highlighting how tradition and contemporary design intersect in Milan.

Nilufar Hotel

Nilufar Gallery will present a dual exhibition during Fuorisalone that explores collectible design through two distinct narratives. At the Depot, Nilufar Grand Hotel transforms hospitality into an immersive, fictional environment where rooms become scenographic installations shaped by designers including david/nicolas and Allegra Hicks. At the same time, La Casa Magica at Spiga reflects on the home as a symbolic, ritual space, positioning design as a tool for storytelling and cultural meaning in Milan.

Echoes of Memphis

Arte is to present a pop-up installation in Brera, reimagining wallcoverings as sculptural, expressive surfaces. Inspired by Memphis design and Ancient Egypt and created with Gabriela de Sagarminaga, the space highlights natural materials such as raffia, cork and shells, forming a monochrome environment where texture and craftsmanship define the experience in Milan.

Ooooh, that’s EpiQ!

At Palazzo del Senato, Škoda Auto will present “Ooooh, that’s EpiQ!” during Fuorisalone, transforming the historic courtyard into a playful, evolving landscape inspired by modelling dough. Developed with Ricardo Orts of Ulises Studio, the installation will blend physical and digital environments through an interactive dome, sculptural forms and activations exploring mobility, creativity and design culture in Milan.

Nokori

Giopato & Coombes to present a new installation at Giopato & Coombes Gallery, exploring light as a lingering presence rather than a fleeting moment. Through immersive luminous compositions, the project reflects on perception, memory and materiality, creating an intimate spatial experience in Milan.

Renaissance of the Real

At Fondazione Luigi Rovati, USM Modular Furniture and Snøhetta will present Renaissance of the Real, a multisensory installation by Annabelle Schneider exploring presence in an age of digital overload. Built around the USM Haller modular system, the space forms a breathing, cocoon-like structure of steel and soft textiles, combining architecture, sound, light and scent to create a deeply immersive sensory experience in Milan.

Drifting Lights

Preciosa Lighting will be presenting Drifting Lights at TEMPESTA Art Gallery in Brera, an immersive installation featuring sixty suspended glass panels activated through subtle 3D light mapping. Designed by Michael Vasku and Andreas Klug, the work will explore how shifting light, colour and reflection can shape mood and perception, creating a calm, contemplative spatial experience in Milan.

ULTRALIGHT: challenging matter through subtraction and perception

Karbony will present ULTRALIGHT at La Tenda Milano during Milan Design Week 2026, as part of La Tenda’s 6OLD programme ‘The Challenge’. The project explores subtraction as a design gesture, reducing carbon fibre into suspended, thread-like structures that appear to defy gravity. As light passes through, the material shifts between shadow and drawing, forming a minimal spatial composition in Milan.

Alcova

For its 11th edition, Alcova will return from 20–26 April 2026, unfolding across two striking sites in Milan. The first is the former Baggio Military Hospital, a vast green complex opening previously unseen spaces, while the second is Villa Pestarini, a private modernist residence opening to the public for the first time. Together, they create a dialogue between preservation and reinvention.

Together, these projects will define a city in motion, where design will extend beyond exhibition spaces and into streets, courtyards and unexpected corners. Each installation will contribute a different perspective, yet all will share a common intent: to turn space into experience and observation into participation.