2010 Milan Salone Latest Report | KARIMOKU

KARIMOKU | Karimoku

Feature | Salone del Mobile.Milano 2010

Communicating Karimoku's Future to the World

Daily Press, Karimoku's PR arm, reports on the exhibition at Salone del Mobile. Karimoku held exhibitions at two venues, Fiera Milano Nuovo Quartier and Galleria Suzy Shammah, from April 14th to 19th during Salone del Mobile. This year, Karimoku was once again selected as the representative Japanese furniture brand for the Sozo_Comm (sozo_comm) project, exhibiting at the sozo_comm booth within Fiera Milano for the third consecutive year. In addition, a solo exhibition of "KARIMOKU NEW STANDARD" was held in an installation format at an art gallery in the heart of Milan.

Report by Daily PressPhoto by Takumi Ota

The "KARIMOKU NEW STANDARD" venue, where visitors drawn by word-of-mouth find unexpected solace.

A contemporary art gallery in the center of Milan serves as the exhibition space for Karimoku's new brand, "KARIMOKU NEW STANDARD." KARIMOKU NEW STANDARD is slated for release in Japan this summer, with its debut at Salone del Mobile. The brand aims for global release, not just in Japan.

Teruhiro Yanagihara, the brand's creative director and designer of many of the items,
was responsible for the venue's design. Within the stark white space, divided into three areas, stand objects resembling hollowed-out trees, woven from extremely fine threads to evoke the texture of bark. Walking among these wooden forms, visitors can discover and interact with nine pieces of furniture—chairs, coat hangers, tables, modular furniture, and sofas—designed by four emerging international designers and Karimoku's in-house designers, much like finding small creatures or plants in a forest.

The furniture for KARIMOKU NEW STANDARD is crafted from thinned domestic hardwoods. The brand's theme is the effective utilization of wood that might otherwise be discarded or chipped due to its irregular dimensions, varied grain patterns, or inconsistent supply. The installation is designed to convey this background.

Although the Karimoku brand may be little known in Europe, visitor response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees sought out the exhibition based on word-of-mouth, and the Karimoku team is delighted with this reception.

Beyond the superb designs by emerging international talents, Karimoku's craftsmanship in realizing these designs, and its meticulous attention to the details of each item, are beginning to resonate deeply with European audiences.

Visitors are not just observing; they are lingering, touching, sitting, and conversing... It's rare to see attendees so relaxed and engaged with the furniture in an exhibition space. Many have departed expressing that they felt "healed."

Amidst the bustle of Salone, this may well have been the most healing spot in Milan this year.