Food, for Ikea, has long been a matter of design.

It had already demonstrated this forty-one years ago, when it turned the shape of a meatball into a pop icon of design, still able to carry its age well. Since then, the brand has observed the kitchen in all its aspects--the where, the how, the what--making it a research ground that has much to do with its idea of democratic design: ironic, intuitive, accessible.


The next edition of Fuorisalone will, once again, be an opportunity to return to this theme. At Spazio Maiocchi, Ikea will present Food for Thought, a large installation that will focus, in true Ikea style, on people - but also on the way food acts as a design device, capable of shaping domestic space and habits.

In the space, which is open to all, five never-before-tested pairs will work in rotation, built to bring different disciplines into dialogue: designers, artists and chefs from different backgrounds, called upon to design both a menu and an environment together, starting with moments from everyday life. There will be designer and architect Charlotte Taylor with chef Ben Lippett, interior designer Maye Ruiz with chef Rosio Sanchez, art director Mehek Malhotra with Maurizio Tentella, artist Lydia Chan with chef Alessandra Lauria, and interior designer Oliver Lyttelton with content creator Tina Choi.

Live cooking sessions, curated by a different couple each day, will thus build a dialogue around food that goes beyond cooking understood as mere function. Through tools, gestures, and stories, the installation shows how food culture is one of the forces that help design domestic space, construct rituals, and transmit traditions. And at the end, of course, the preparations will be offered to those present.

Food for Thought will also be one of the rare places during Milan Design Week to really stop by. Inside, there will be everything you need to get through the days of the Salone - food, music, nooks and crannies to sit in - while a market inspired by Saluhall, the traditional Swedish market, will take shape in the courtyard, with a selection of local producers.

Inside you will also enter the Billy Café, with an Ikea bookstore behind you and Phaidon cookbooks at your fingertips. And the Hotdog Extravaganza will return, as per tradition, which this year will be enhanced with exclusive new toppings signed by the chefs involved in the project.

It is not just an experience, however: Food for Thought will also be an opportunity to present new objects, bringing the design discourse back into the more concrete sense.

During the Fuorisalone, in fact, three new products from the historic Ikea PS collection and two new lamps signed by the Milanese designer Raffaella Mangiarotti will be presented, giving continuity to a collaboration that has already also led to a nomination for the Compasso d'Oro.

The creative concept of the installation is signed by architect Midori Hasuike and spatial designer Emerzon, historical collaborators of Ikea. It is scheduled to open to the public on April 21.