![\"Panter&Tourron\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776723263_804_0x0.jpg\")
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Stefano Panterotto and Alexis Tourron, the creative duo behind Swiss design studio Panter&Tourron, are one of the six taking part in ‘Shared Matter’, a collective exhibition of Swiss design at Milan Design Week, highlighting the benefits that come from global collaboration.<\/p>\n
Dejan Jovanovic<\/p>\n
With influential figures such as Le Corbusier, Diego Giacometti, Josef M\u00fcller-Brockmann, and Fritz Haller shaping its legacy, Switzerland has firmly established itself on the global design map over the past century, renowned for its precision engineering, distinctive architectural language, and unwavering commitment to quality. Today, a generation of emerging designers are building on this legacy, expanding its reach through collaborations with international partners and engaging in a diverse exchange of cultural and creative ideas.<\/p>\n
At this year\u2019s Milan Design Week<\/a>, which takes over the Italian design capital from this weekend, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, in partnership with Presence Sapin Sapin is a project by Vera Roggli and Julia Vilamonte bringing together craft skillsets and materials from the Philippines and Switzerland.<\/p>\n \u00a9Vera Roggli & Julia Vilamonte<\/p>\n Located within the multidisciplinary event space SPAZIOVENTO with scenography conceived by Swiss design duo Gini Moynier in collaboration with graphic Swiss designer Noelani Rutz has worked in Japan developing a tile collection that has been cast directly from snow in the Japanese mountains, capturing unique imprints and textures that symbolise fleeting moments in time.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Jonas Marguet<\/p>\n Zurich-based product designer Noelani Rutz<\/a> is presenting a project shaped by the experience of working in Tokyo, Japan. Fleeting Landscapes consists of two tile collections examining the materiality of clay in relation to the fleeting forms of snow. Developed under Pro Helvetia\u2019s \u2018Design with Japan\u2019 programme and in collaboration with maker Sugiura Seito Co. Ltd with production by Tajimi Custom Tiles, the project began in Japan\u2019s snow-covered mountains, where plaster was cast directly into snow under shifting conditions to capture fleeting, momentary textures. Transformed into permanent ceramic tiles, the clay has become a vessel for memory, evoking the ecological fragility of snow and serving as a quiet reminder of inevitable change.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Japan, especially in the countryside, you\u2019re constantly invited to notice the quieter qualities of things,\u201d explains Rutz. \u201cThe textures, the way materials age, the space around objects, and the idea that beauty can exist through reduction. I experienced moments that carried a very specific atmosphere, created with care, where it wasn\u2019t only about something being visually pleasing but about a deeper sense of calm and presence.\u201d This experience continues to shape her work today, paying homage to Japan\u2019s more traditional, almost anonymous way of creation, with the focus placed on craft and proportion. Leading Japanese furniture manufacturer, Karimoku New Standard, is also the official partner of the exhibition. <\/p>\n Hall Lamp by Panter&Tourron<\/p>\n \u00a9Sebastian Vargas and Jeremy Ayer Studio<\/p>\n Renowned design studio Panter&Tourron<\/a> are also taking part, displaying the Hall Lamp, a sculptural design crafted from extruded aluminium pipe and offered in a range of gradient colour treatments. Adaptable to suit a range of settings and interior moods, it has been manufactured in partnership with the Italian lighting company From Lighting<\/a>. \u201cWe were interested in how far a very ordinary industrial element could be pushed just by cutting it, flipping it, and giving it a new function,\u201d says Stefano Panterotto. \u201cThere is something immediate in that gesture. It is technical, but also very visual, and it creates a form that feels almost self-evident.\u201d<\/p>\n Having collaborated with many international partners over the years, the duo feel their local identity isn\u2019t something to preserve through explicit references but appears inherently in the way they work, through method, precision and the dialogue between materials and technologies. \u201cOur practice also developed in a post-internet context, where visual universes blend more easily and geographical or heritage-based influences have become more fluid,\u201d comments Alexis Tourron. \u201cBecause of that, we are less interested in expressing identity literally, and more in making objects that feel clear and immediate. The ambition is not to make something neutral, but something legible. In a time marked by so much visual and cultural complexity, we want to convey clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n Vera Roggli and Julia Vilamonte are presenting Sapin-Sapin, a multifunctional mat that can be folded into a low seating object, handcrafted from karagumoy leaves (pandanus simplex).<\/p>\n \u00a9Vera Rogli & Julia Vilamonte <\/p>\n Designers Vera Roggli<\/a> and Julia Villamonte<\/a> have bridged the gap between Switzerland and Villamonte\u2019s hometown of Labo, in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. The duo are presenting Sapin-Sapin, a multifunctional mat that can be folded into a low seating object, ideal for resting, sitting, or hanging as a room divider, and the connection of design, craft and local knowledge remains evident in the materials used, with the mat handwoven from karagumoy leaves. \u201cOn one hand, it is deeply place-specific due to the material used and the object\u2019s function,\u201d explains Villamonte, \u201cbut on the other hand, the weaving technique itself is universal and can be found across many cultures around the world. It has existed for as long as humans have. So we believe that alongside the uniqueness of each craft, there is also a universality that connects them in a global context.\u201d<\/p>\n Preserving the cultural identity of craft on a global stage requires the utmost care, and the designers say how it requires in-depth research into the historical, cultural, and social contexts of both the material and the craft. \u201cTransparency around the making process is equally important,\u201d says Roggli, \u201cacknowledging who contributed, where the craft originates from, how it has been used historically, and in what context it exists today. In this way, the final object also becomes a carrier of stories and knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n With design being a powerful tool in connecting communities around the world, the exhibition is a positive reminder in the timely need for further support of the creative sectors. \u201cThe more we work together, the more we understand each other,” says Mayoly. \u201cIn the world we live in, sharing matter beyond borders, education and background is probably the most valuable tool we have in our hands to impact the now and therefore our future.\u201d And, with the strong engineering culture associated with Swiss design being a valuable contribution to such collaborations, it is exciting to see how the region is continuing to evolve creatively. As Mayoly concludes, \u201cEvery country comes with its own knowledge and way of working. Collaboration is less about transferring one model to another and should be focused on allowing different approaches to organically meet and influence each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Shared Matter is on display Mon 20\u2013Fri 24 April 2026, 10:00\u201319:00 at SPAZIOVENTO, Via Pinamonte da Vimercate 4, 20121 Milan.<\/p>\n
Switzerland, presents \u2018Shared Matter\u2019, an exhibition spotlighting six projects conceived by local talent and brought to life through dynamic global collaborations. While creative crossovers<\/a> are nothing new, this exhibition seeks to reaffirm the region\u2019s ability to translate its design language across borders, highlighting the value of such exchange in a world that feels increasingly fragmented. \u201cDesign has always been a fundamentally collaborative discipline whose value depends on continuous exchange,” says Marie Mayoly, Head of International Platforms for Design at Pro Helvetia. \u201cIts quality and impact emerge when diverse voices contribute their knowledge and perspectives, and this must be actively nurtured.\u201d <\/p>\n
designer Nicolas Bernklau, the projects on display were invited to enter an open call with the final six selected by architect and designer Maddalena Casadei and the Editorial Director of Dezeen, Max Fraser. From Akuto Studio\u2019s intuitive musical instrument that reimagines the possibilities of chord playing to Panter&Tourron\u2019s sculptural floor lamp, Silvio Rebholz\u2019s biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastic cups and iiode\u2019s sustainable LED bulb, the variety of disciplines on display pays testament to the thought-provoking curiosity of Swiss designers. \u201cThey are eager to engage with diverse cultural and production contexts, while international scenes show a strong interest in Swiss approaches to design and research,\u201d continues Mayoly. \u201cAs an institution, our role is to support and enable these connections, ensuring that such collaborations are not only opportunities for visibility, but catalysts for sustainable, long-term relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n