Have you been to the Garden of Ideas?

Capsula Mundi it is a biodegradable coffin, for a new concept of burial. Its egg-shaped casing houses the body in a fetal position and composts over time in the soil without leaving residues. A tree chosen by the person when he was still alive is planted at the burial site. The cemetery thus becomes a sacred forest, a park of memory that brings us back to our loved ones through the contemplation of nature.

Honda, Main Partner of the event, presented the SUSTAINA-C concept vehicles as a European preview (the car, above) and Pocket (the motorbike, under), to which the display of the SH 125i Vetro scooter was added. A special installation focused on the benefits that product design can derive from the use of materials that contribute to reducing Co2 emissions in production, demonstrating a possible approach to the future circularity of resources.

Horticultural organized many (and very popular) workshops throughout the Design Week: Monica Bispo taught how to make jars of raw earth and biochar; Eleonora Elli created flower garlands and with the flowers Domitilla Baldeschi gave instructions on how to “organize” a bouquet. Paola Barzanò instead held a dyeing workshop with dyeing plants and Emanuela Venturi also played with colours, with a meeting between gardening and natural nuances. Then, again Chiara Bottelli and her art of Furoshiki, to wrap, contain and transport objects of all shapes, and the biologist Corradina Inca Carveni dedicated herself to the decoration of eggs.

Visa, global partner of the Olympic Games (since 1986) and Paralympic Games (since 2022), created a space where you could project yourself into the magical Olympic spirit: not only could you have your photo taken with the backdrop of Paris, but, by playing, you could try to win a trip to watch the competitions of the next Olympics. On Wednesday 17 April, in the middle of the afternoon, Tina and Milo, the two stoat mascots, also showed up (under) of the Olympic Games.

Eurojersey with The Lycra Company presented a dynamic installation that measures the elastic memory of stretch fabrics, recounting the performance of product innovation and sustainability with unisex-manifesto garments inspired by the symbols of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Swap Party with Humana People To People Italia. People donated clothes and took the same number of items for free. At the end of the Swap Party, the non-exchanged items entered the Humana supply chain which will select and valorize them to finance its social and environmental projects in Italy and around the world.

Haier offered its smart kitchen, with a range of high-performance appliances, for vegetable cooking show cooking: we thus discovered the recipes of the chefs Carlotta Perego (Cucina Botanica), Valentina Ranzone and Maria Rita Berruti who put ovens, plates and intelligent refrigerators, which were then discussed in a talk (under) with Atena Manca, marketing director of Haier Italia, and with the content creator Otto Climan, expert “geek”.

Matthew Ward presented «Sneaky Sneaker», a corner that wanted to reveal the true meaning of sustainability and its origins, delve into the emergence of greenwashing and equip participants with skills to discern various subtle tactics.

Yves Rocher, founder of Cosmétique Végétale®, talked about the world of Expertise Botanica Haircare through various experiences, including hair analysis, with dedicated consultations offered in the brand's corner, and two workshops of a sensorial and sustainable nature. Anyone who came knows: facing the long queue required patience (but it was worth it!).

Illyat the entrance to our Garden, offered thousands of coffees to visitors.

Nio Cocktailsfrom Tea Martini to Tommy's Margarita, then Vodka Sour, Cosmopolitan, Gin Proved… There was a wide choice of aperitifs, for a relaxing break.

Borre Akkersdijk, from the eco fabric brand Byborrerecorded his very popular podcast from the Garden of Ideas to talk about «A New Textile Landscape».

Citrusthe benefit company committed to promoting Italian fruit and vegetables, distributed lemons and lemonades: it was enough to ring the bell and a hand with a white glove emerged from a flowered wall and offered a gift.

Piero D'Angelo adopts a multidisciplinary creative approach and, with fungi, algae and slime mold, creates “living” clothes, capable of absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen into the environment.

IfExperiencestarting from the cloister of the Diocesan Museum, has organized special walks guided by a narrator in search of objects that hold extraordinary stories, capable of taking us back in time and making us rediscover a new humanism.

With Chiara Mastrotto and Silvia Stella Osella we talked about sustainable leather and circular economy, innovation and efficiency of production processes. Because if large businesses move they can really move things.

Thanks to the students who came to the Garden of Ideas to explain their projects, which we selected after ours call to action. In November 2023 we asked to present projects that hypothesized practical solutions to address future problems: drought, waste, rising sea waters… And so we put them on display with photos, drawings and prototypes. Many students from Italian universities participated and for this we thank the schools that supported us in the organization for their collaboration: @Accademiacostumeemoda, @Accademia_iuad_napoli, @ied_milano, @naba, @polimi, @unicampania.

How many have we distributed Goliath? It was a way to try the most unusual flavours, mint aside, from alpine herbs to ginger lime, all without sugar.

Blessed is he who managed to match the socks of Vanity Fair. The game was this: from Tuesday 16th to Sunday 21st April, carts with a sock with “Vanity” written on it went around the city. To get the second one you had to get to the Garden of Ideas where the one with the writing “Fair” would be collected. They sold like hot cakes.

Ipsen, the bio-pharmaceutical company, focused on social sustainability, on the theme of inclusion, focusing on the experience of those who, after a stroke, want to go back to living by overcoming the limits of spasticity. And so, through a special brace (here, in this photo, worn by Flavia Pennetta), the public was able to experience the sensation of someone who, following a stroke, has pain and mobility problems.

There Nature's Library has made a selection of titles on plants, animals and everything related to the environment. Rare and specialized volumes, to browse and purchase.

It was enough to frame the QCode and you could plant a tree. A cedar, a holm oak, a lemon, an African cherry tree… A small gesture, but with great effectiveness: Treedom he wanted to explain how important it is to plant trees for people and the environment.

In the space of «Cinemino» we screened films, short films and documentaries dedicated to sustainability, from disappeared islands to mountain forests, from insects to the exemplary stories of mountain refuges.

It was distributed at the Giaridno delle Idee Airour new attachment dedicated to Design.