In a world where design constantly unfolds across time, what is the role of design in negotiating what we inherit and what we project?

The Polimi Design System (the School of Design, the Department of Design, and POLI.design) presents "INTERDEPENDENCE: past present future", a set of initiatives to reflect on the temporal layers that define our identities, systems, and values through a selection of projects by design students.

The Polimi Design System organizes a widespread event taking place from 16—26 April 2026 for the Milan Design Week—Fuorisalone, with its main exhibition at Fabbrica del Vapore, alongside a constellation of other locations populating the city.

Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini, 4, 20154 Milano MI

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RHO FIERA MILANO, CORSO ITALIA, RHO

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At Fabbrica del Vapore, INTERDEPENDENCE 2026 presents an international exhibition exploring how design operates at the intersection of three temporalities: past, present, and future. The showcase mixes and matches projects from Politecnico di Milano (Design, Architecture, and Engineering) with those from 50 design universities worldwide to address 10 evolving domains—from emotional heritage to speculative infrastructures.

The opening of the exhibition will be on Friday, April 16, 2026, at 18:30. At Salone Satellite, a dedicated stand presents the School of Design's study programs through an interactive installation. The display focuses on how the tools and paradigms of today shape the way we will work, relate, and socialize in the future.

The 10 domains of "INTERDEPENDENCE: past present future" map a broad range of forces that evolve through time:

CPB

CAPABILITIES

How do human capabilities and skills change over time?

MTN

EMOTIONS

How do we experience and express emotions across eras?

PLC

PLACES

How do spaces and places evolve over time?

PRD

PARADIGMS

How do scientific models, cultural traditions, and belief systems endure, evolve, or disappear?

CMM

COMMUNITIES

How do communities, networks, and relations develop and evolve?

NST

Institutions

How do institutions change to sustain and accommodate the transformation of societies?

NFR

INFRASTRUCTURES

How do existing systems and structures constrain or enable choices?

CARE

How does the very concept of care manifest in different societal systems and in their transformation?

JST

JUSTICE

How does the idea of fairness/justice transform and influence people's behaviours over time?

TLS

TOOLS

How do the tools we use shape the way we work, relate, and socialize?

SCHOOLs

Aalto University
Academie Libanaise des Beaux—Arts—UOB
Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Arhus University
Art Academy of Latvia
Besign School
BESIGN, The Sustainable Design School
Brno University of Technology
Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DID)
Elisava
ESA SAint-Luc Bruxelles
Estonian Art Academy
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IADE—Faculdade de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação da Universidade Europeia
Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey)
Kaunas University of Technlogy
Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts
Konstfack
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Kyushu University
L'École de design Nantes Atlantique
Malmo University
Moholy—Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest
Monash University
National College of Art and Design (NCAD)
Northeastern University
Nottingham Trent University
Ontario College of Art & Design University
Özyeğin University
POLI.design
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
RMIT University
Royal College of Art
Strate School of Design
Technical University of Liberec
TH Köln University of Technology, Arts and Sciences
The Design Village
The Glasgow School of Art
The New School
Tongji University
Tsinghua University
TU Delft Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE)
UMa—Universidade da Madeira
Umeå University
Universitat Politècnica de València
universite constantine3
University of Arts Linz
University of Auckland
University of Aveiro, Universidade de Aveiro
University of Johannesburg
University of New South Wales
University of Tsukuba
Xi'an Jiaotong—Liverpool University (XJTLU)
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Politecnico di Milano

SCIENTIFIC DIRECTION AND CURATION FRANCESCO ZURLO ANNA MERONI

(CASVA)

—DIRECTOR —MARIA FRATELLI

—CURATOR —GIAMPIERO BOSONI

—AI-MEDIATED VISUAL DESIGN —LAURA CARUGATI

DELEGATE FOR EVENTS, SCHOOL OF DESIGN FRANCESCO E. GUIDA

DELEGATE FOR COMMUNICATION, SCHOOL OF DESIGN FRANCESCA PIREDDA

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHIARA ALBERTI

CREATIVE DIRECTION CARLO MORGAN CAPOBIANCO DEBORA BARATTA ANITA MARIA RUGGIU

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ANNE SCHOONBRODT MARIA CAROLINA CRUZ

EXHIBIT PRODUCTION LAB PROTOTIPI E ALLESTIMENTI, DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN:
MARIANO CHERNICOFF, ILARIA PAPOTTI, GAIA STO DOMINGO

VISUAL IDENTITY AND WEB DESIGN MARCO ARRIGONI ANDREA CAPOZZA GIORGIA CASADEI

EXHIBIT DESIGN DAVIDE GRASSO VIRGINIA ZUNIGA

EXHIBITION REGISTRAR AMISHA SONI

MOBILITY FUTURES @ SALONESATELLITE CURATION DAVIDE SPALLAZZO MARCO AJOVALASIT

VIDEO AND PHOTO DOCUMENTATION LAB IMMAGINE, DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN

COMMUNICATION COORDINATION COMMUNICATION UNIT, DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN:
ELEONORA DE MARCHI, GIADA ZONCADA WITH MARCO QUAGGIOTTO

SOCIAL MEDIA MARIA GRAZIA CORALLUZZO

THANKS TO DONATELLA SCIUTO PAOLA BERTOLA MAURO CECONELLO ANNA BARBARA WALTER RUFFINONI UMBERTO TOLINO DAVIDE FASSI SILVIA FERRARIS ANDREA MANCIARACINA FABIO DI LIBERTO DESIGN LABS – DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN MILENA DI GENNARO AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN ROSA TONINELLI AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN ROBERTA GORNO AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF POLI.design PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT

www.design.polimi.it www.dipartimentodesign.polimi.it www.polidesign.net

APRIL 16th—APRIL 26th 2026