Background information
The poetry of everyday life: why lived chaos is more beautiful than catalogue aesthetics
by Pia Seidel
Mirror, mirror on the wall...
13.8.2018
Translation: machine translated
...what's the selfie stick doing in my hand? As the number of visitors to the Milan Furniture Fair increases every year, so does the self-absorption of its visitors. The attempt to avoid the selfie.
The "Salone del Mobile" furniture fair is getting bigger and bigger and has long since expanded beyond the exhibition halls outside the city to encompass entire neighbourhoods in the centre of Milan. I can find inspiration at numerous exhibitions. Established companies show their new products as well as newcomers. I stay longer and longer every year. Until at some point I allow myself the full seven days - and thus a complete overstimulation of my senses. And even then, I won't be able to see everything on offer.
One reason why I'm certainly taking more photos than usual in Milan is the abundance of impressions. It's impossible to memorise everything in such a short space of time. That's why I photograph strategically: first the object of desire, then the names of the designers so that I still have an overview later. That's quick. Nevertheless, I somehow feel uncomfortable constantly taking photos.
Do I really need the image of the menu lamps? Can I capture them as I have them in front of me? Am I standing in someone else's frame if I take a step back? Am I being rude to my companions if I march across the room again to capture a different angle?
And finally: is the balance still right between gaining impressions and capturing them? After all, that's why I came to Milan: To be inspired. Not to constantly press the shutter button. I'm in a constant battle, fuelled by my fear of not being able to capture the inspirations and names of the designers at the Salone del Mobile.
Selfies are contagious... and no coincidence in Milan
The first time I saw a painting by Gerhard Richter in a museum eight years ago, I lingered in front of it for minutes. Other visitors felt the same way. Last year, I again daydreamed in front of a painting by the German artist. What was new this time, however, was that I had to wait briefly until a visitor had taken a selfie in front of the artwork.
The selfie trend had also arrived at the museum. The gaze rests on the screen with one's own face instead of savouring the atmosphere. Somehow disconcerting. After all, I go to museums to be intoxicated by the art of others. Not to become part of a still life in a photo myself.
This year I encountered a similar phenomenon in Milan. Mobile phones seem to be stuck to visitors' hands, often on selfie sticks. People taking every opportunity to photograph themselves. From mirror selfies to poses on the latest sofa, the majority of visitors were preoccupied with themselves. Instead of the artistic staging.
The ones who are banking on us becoming more narcissistic and documenting everything around us are clever brands and creators of such exhibitions. With "Mirror Walls", they deliberately set accents in the rooms where selfies can be taken extensively.
In the best case scenario, these are then shared on social media channels with the right hashtags, which are often noted directly on the wall. In a playful way, the brands achieve a broad distribution of their works on the Internet without having to spend a franc on advertising. This contemporary form of marketing was fuelled and celebrated most strongly this year in Milan by Swedish clothing shop COS. And not even on purpose.
"Open Sky" is the seventh exhibition that COS has designed for the Salone del Mobile. This time, the creative studio teamed up with artist Phillip K. Smith to decorate Palazzo Isimbardi and its garden with mirror objects. They were intended to reflect the sky and actually tempt visitors to stop for a moment to take a closer look. Instead, visitors have used the mirrors as another stage for self-dramatisation. Am I missing out if I don't take a photo of myself?
Selfie self-experiment
Because the selfie boom was unmissable, I also let myself be infected to take a picture of myself. The hurdle was smaller in Milan because everyone was doing it, but it wasn't any more pleasant. I still prefer the pictures that I took without myself and that now serve as a reminder of the inspiring exhibitions.
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Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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