MDW 2023
"UNNATURAL but NATURAL"
Event | Exhibition | Milan, Italy | 17-23 April 2022
On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2023 Green Wise is pleased to present Unnatural but Natural, our ongoing exploration of the harmonious balance between natural elements and non-natural artifacts.
The installation celebrates the beauty of spontaneous nature while raising questions about the symbiotic relationship humans have cultivated with it throughout history.
Taming the greenery within an artificial urban landscape has always been related to the human need to enjoy the countless benefits of nature. However, the excessive use of non-organic systems of domestication has led to the development of an unsustainable and environmentally disrespectful approach to landscape design, prioritizing artificial perfection and unnatural aesthetics.
Since its origin, Green Wise has committed to promoting responsible green design principles to preserve the natural diversity of plants, assist the development and restoration of native ecosystems and habitats, and respect the health of humans and the planet that hosts them.
Green Wise, in dialogue with the Japanese designer Shizuka Tatsuno and ceramist Yuka Ando, illustrates the constant interaction between natural and artificial interpreted through delicate and minimal volumes.
TAIKI - stool and planter
The exhibition present TAIKI, a collection of stools and planter covers made in stainless steel inspired by the atmospheric changes of the sky. Realized by the designer in collaboration with Nippon Steel Stainless Art Corporation, each piece combines minimal shapes and elegant textures to redefine the traditional cold perception of stainless steel. The dialogue with Green Wise enhances the visual interaction between the mirrored image and the actual plants, fostering a continuous exchange of reality and perception.
Stool: 55 x 29 x H45 cm
Planter: 55 x 29 x H45 cm
Table planter: 60 x 20 x H10 cm
Outdoor stool: 120 x 60 x H55 cm
Outdoor planter: 60 x 60 x H55 cm
Shizuka Tatsuno
shizukatatsuno.com – @shizuka_tatsuno
Shizuka Tatsuno was born in 1983 and received her degree in Product & Furniture Design from Kingston University in London. After gaining experience in the field, she began her independent design work in 2011. She established her design office, “Shizuka Tatsuno Studio Inc.” in 2017. she offers services for clients in Japan and abroad, ranging from design, creative direction, branding, and graphic design, focusing on the design of furniture, lifestyle products, and fashion accessories. Since 2021, she has started experimental art production as part of her work.
ENTO, ENBAN - flower vase
The artist’s creative exploration is rooted in the visual beauty of the natural world, with its vivid and delicate hues and tones. Her formal research is a testament to her commitment to the environment as she salvages discarded pieces of clay to recycle them into a collection of minimal and delicate cylindric shapes.
The repetition of ceramic plinths in different scales dialogue with Green Wise’s Kukido compositions to generate an unnatural landscape of natural elements.
ENTO: D8-13 x H5-22 cm
ENBAN: D20, 25, 30, 40 x H2 cm
Yuka Ando
yuka-ando.com – @yukaando
Yuka Ando was born in Osaka, Japan, and raised in Hyogo prefecture. After graduating from California State University’s Department of Economics and working in Los Angeles for two years, she returned to Japan to pursue ceramics at the Kyoto Prefectural College of Ceramic Technology. After graduation and a period spent in Copenhagen, she started working as a ceramic artist in Toyama, then in her hometown Hyogo. Her works range from one-of-a-kind vases to daily tableware. All of her products are individually hand-made in her ceramic studio.
The flowers and plants used in the set-up come from small Italian producers who embrace the same philosophy and cultivate their products in respect of the environment’s seasonality, without chemical additives.
Photo | Elisa Biagi