Cover photo: “Making the Invisible Visible” by Lachlan Turczan for Google – Garage 21, Via Archimede 26 – ph. Lachlan Turczan
Fuorisalone 2025 once again proved to be a global magnet, thanks partly to its stunning light installations. These were more than product showcases—they redefined historic spaces, activated hidden corners of Milan, and amplified brand narratives through immersive storytelling. The long lines outside venues reflected a growing wave of public interest, drawing not just professionals but thousands of design enthusiasts and curious visitors eager to soak in the creative energy of Design Week.
From the interactive rooms of glo for art and Google, to Michael Anastassiades’ minimalist elegance in a restored Milanese palazzo, and the material innovation of Luce5’s HYLETech, light became both medium and message. Below is our curated list of installations that made the biggest impact this year.
Making the Invisible Visible
Inside Garage 21 on Via Archimede 26, Google Design Studio teamed up with light and water artist Lachlan Turczan to visualize the invisible. The immersive installation highlighted Google’s latest hardware design process. At its core was Lucida (I–IV) by Turczan: a series of glowing veils, created using light beams and precision optics, that responded to human presence. So tangible they blurred the line between physical and immaterial, these veils suggested a future where form is based not on mass but on perception and energy. Here, light became the architecture.
The installation Light in Matter by Emanuel Gargano showcased HYLETech’s potential in design, interiors, and architecture. A new frontier for sustainable, expressive lighting.
Sempre Blu
FontanaArte’s showroom turned deep blue with Sempre Blu, an immersive tribute by Franco Raggi and Daniela Puppa. Featuring archival projections and signature lighting pieces, the installation revisited the legacy of Gio Ponti and Gae Aulenti, whose designs remain in the brand’s catalogue today.
Poetica
At the Istituto dei Ciechi on Via Vivaio, WonderGlass once again impressed with a theatrical presentation.
Collaborating with Calico Wallpaper and Officine Saffi Lab, they presented new works by Vincent Van Duysen and Ronan Bouroullec—blown, cast, and perforated glass forms staged like a poetic play within the ornate Honor Hall.
Michael Anastassiades
In the beautifully restored Palazzo Danese, located on Via Santa Maria Fulcorina 17 and reopened to the public after twenty years, Michael Anastassiades unveiled his new lighting collection. The designer’s refined language—balancing warm minimalism with emotional resonance—was reflected in two standout pieces: Cygnet, suspended lights inspired by kite forms with delicate washi-paper wings, and Frame, a bold aluminum chandelier defined by rigorous geometry and invisible LED sources.
Hyper Portal
In the Brera district, at Via Moscova 18, Michela Picchi staged HYPER PORTAL for glo for art—a bold, two-part installation exploring the idea of a connected, ever-evolving future.
The courtyard outside transformed into a 3D abstract painting, while inside the portal, kaleidoscopic lights and colors reacted in real-time to visitors’ presence and movement, turning the space into a dynamic, living artwork.
Library of Light
Es Devlin transformed the main courtyard of the Brera Academy with a massive rotating light sculpture built around Canova’s statue of Napoleon. With shelves housing 3,000+ books and a mirrored floor, it reflected daylight and cast shadow plays after sunset. Activations included readings and performances
Books donated by visitors will join Milan’s public library system. Library of Light is a project by Salone del Mobile in collaboration with Pinacoteca di Brera and Grande Brera, supported by Feltrinelli.
Two-Fold Silence
Inside the former public baths of Milan’s Piscina Cozzi, visitors discovered the first solo exhibition by 6:AM Glasswork, a brand specializing in artisanal glass design.
The entrance—with its deco-inspired bas-reliefs of seahorses and underwater mosaic—led to a unique display inside the travertine and ceramic showers. Sculptures and minimalist lamps echoed 1920s industrial and Bauhaus styles.
A standout piece was EXIT, a glass cube that reimagines the standard emergency sign as a striking design object.