Silent Revolutions

A new show at the Triennale reveals the last two decades of Slovenian design, with a few classics in the mix.

After passing through London and Eindhoven, Slovenian product design has just entered Milan's Triennale in a set of sturdy crates which seem to have been directly loaded off the boat.

On view through 1 April, "Silent Revolutions: Contemporary Slovenian Design" combines a selection of objects from the last two decades with historic design examples from the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana. The latter are thrilling: Peter Florjancic's ubiquitous 1969 slide frame became famous when used by Agfa and Kodak, while Davorin Savnik's 1979 ETA 80 phone for IKSTRA is an elegant plastic archetype, and was a common sight in homes and offices of former Yugoslavia.

Only a few of the contemporary examples emanate the same vitality, but curator Maja Vardan's selection is impressive and diverse. From Igor Akrapovic's 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R exhaust to Rok Kuhar and Katjusa Kranjc's 2011 Chair Series for Stol & Stol, Slovenian design is active in the sports, tech, fashion, furniture and luxury fields. There is even a humanitarian design example: the 2009 Holey Rocket biomass briquettes stove by Rok Oblat. Used in the Philippines and Uganda, Vardan singles it out as "particularly close to her heart". Vera Sacchetti (@verasacchetti)

Silent Revolutions: Contemporary Slovenian Design
Milan Design Triennale
Viale Alemagna 6, Milan
Through 1 April
Top: <em>Microphone Series</em>, by Marko Turk for Elektroakusticni laboratorij (EAL), 1956–1997. Photo by Jaka Babnik. Above: <em>Plastic Slide Frame</em>, 1969, by Peter Florjancic. Photo by Peter Florjancic archive
Top: Microphone Series, by Marko Turk for Elektroakusticni laboratorij (EAL), 1956–1997. Photo by Jaka Babnik. Above: Plastic Slide Frame, 1969, by Peter Florjancic. Photo by Peter Florjancic archive
<em>Fin Chair</em>, by Rok Kuhar and Katjuša Kranjc for Stol & Stol, 2011. Photo by Aljoša Rebolj
Fin Chair, by Rok Kuhar and Katjuša Kranjc for Stol & Stol, 2011. Photo by Aljoša Rebolj
<em>Flow Water Set</em>, by Tanja Pak for Glesia, 2008. Photo by Boris Gaberšcik
Flow Water Set, by Tanja Pak for Glesia, 2008. Photo by Boris Gaberšcik
<em>Criatura shoes</em>, by Leonora Jakovljevic for Leonora Mark – Ave Femina, 2005. Photo composition by Jana Urbas
Criatura shoes, by Leonora Jakovljevic for Leonora Mark – Ave Femina, 2005. Photo composition by Jana Urbas
<em>Holey Roket Stove</em>, by Rok Oblak, co-designer Larry Winiarski, 2009. Photo by Margherita Marzorati
Holey Roket Stove, by Rok Oblak, co-designer Larry Winiarski, 2009. Photo by Margherita Marzorati

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