HEAD’s “Salone” invites visitors to discover twelve projects conceived as ludic antidotes to a world filled with screens. Designed distractions that coerce us into playful & shared forms of interaction. Everyone plays. Electronic. Analog. Social. Play is a form of connection. Social platforms feign connecting us, but in the end, they just leave us in limbo. Inversely, play is superficial by design, while secretly inviting us into a deeper understanding of each other and of our own limits. 

Designed and developed by the Media Design Master students of HEAD – Genève, Geneva School of Art and Design, within a scenography designed by students of the Visual Communication Department, this ”Salone” invites visitors to explore the nature of play. 

Projects range in scope and scale from robotic mixologists and domotic hi-fi to infinite rooms where space itself becomes the play station. For the more adventurous, an underground club proposes a redefinition of the seedy games room with updated parlour games of strategy and chance. 

The French « salon » is adapted from the Italian « salone » and principally describes a space for greeting visitors. In the 18th century, the term evolved to describe an exhibition space, showing exemplary works of art of its days. From this definition emerges the idea of a collective gathering, as in « Le salon des poètes », as well as the idea of a commercial space where goods and services can be brought to the public. With the invention of private, domestic spaces, the concept of the salon returns to the idea of reception and becomes a space where friends can be invited to play video games or watch the latest episode of a popular television series. 

This year, HEAD is located in a magnificent space in the heart of the Brera District Design, in the Mimmo Scogliamiglio art gallery, which welcomes the students artworks over two floors in a superb Milanese palazzo. The gallery has been transformed in a futuristic apartment that extends over two levels. 

Upstairs is the Apartment. This is where visitors mingle, play, and enjoy various forms of distraction. In the basement is the Tripot or Underground Club. In the olden days this would have been called a speakeasy. It is an underground games room where people get together to play with cards, board games and games of chance. 

Students of the Master Media Design participating in the exhibition
Marion Bareil, Martin Besson, Sébastien Beureux, Sarah Bourquin, Marianna Czwojdrak, Margaux Charvolin, Marion Couesnon, Patrick Donaldson, Yoann Douillet, Jessica Friedling, Charles-Henri Hayoz, Jérémie Lasnier, Eun-Sun Lee, Mai Li, Laurent Monnet, Étienne Ndiaye, Valérie Pierrehumbert, Mélissa Pisler, Benoît Renaudin, Vincent de Vevey, Israel Viadest

Students of the Visual Communication Department – for the Visual Identity of the exhibition
Emilie Excoffier, Romain Graille, David Héritier, Bastien Séon

Direction artistique
Douglas Edric Stanley, Étienne Mineur, Laura Couto Rosado, Anette Lenz, Pierre Rossel, Laurent Bolli, Pascal Berger 

Media contact
Sandra Mudronja
Head of Communications & External Relations
M +41 79 445 87 92 (in Milan)

INFO MEDIA | HEAD – Genève | Salone Ludico | Salone internazionale del Mobile di Milano 2017 | Brera Design District

PRESS RELEASE | HEAD – Genève | Salone Ludico | Salone internazionale del Mobile di Milano 2017 | Brera Design District | 4-9 April 2017

COMUNICATO STAMPA | HEAD – Genève | Salone Ludico | Salone internazionale del Mobile di Milano 2017 | Brera Design District | 4-9 aprile 2017 

www.saloneludico.ch

Some articles and mentions : 
2017.03.29, Le Temps, A Milan, les écoles d'art jouent avec le design 

2017.04.03. Life at home, blog Ikea, Salone Ludico

2017.04.04, Design Fiction: Salone Ludico from HEAD Geneva

2017.04.04, Salone Ludico - Twelve ludic antidotes to a world filled with screens

2017.04.10, Best of #Fuorisalone - The ten best places not to miss during Milan Design Week

2017.04.09, Arts Thread, Milan 2017 : Salone Ludico

2017.04.10, Core77, Milan Design Week 2017: Everyone is a Winner at HEAD Genève's Salone Ludico