Milan - Italy Archives

When Apricots Blossom marks the prestigious debut of Uzbekistan at Milan Design Week 2026. Commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), the project found its home in the historic garden and galleries of Palazzo Citterio in Brera. The exhibition serves as a cultural bridge, bringing the resilient spirit of the Aral Sea region to the heart of Milan, celebrating the heritage of Karakalpakstan through a contemporary architectural lens.

The project brief focused on three fundamental pillars: food, shelter, and clothing. Inside the galleries of Palazzo Citterio, the exhibition unfolds through a research-led journey featuring the film “Where the Water Ends” and the “Bread as Craft” collection. For this installation, 12 international designers collaborated with Uzbek artisans to reinterpret the chekich (traditional bread stamps), turning ancient rituals into modern design statements. This section of the project highlights how craft can act as a tool for environmental and cultural renewal.

The architectural centerpiece, produced by BLΛCK, is a “Deconstructed Yurt” a 15 meter wide structure that reinterprets traditional nomadic dwellings. Composed of a complex lattice framework of 500 steel elements encased in a translucent fiber gauze, the pavilion represents a “meeting place of cultural connections.” It stands as a symbol of hospitality and memory, providing a radical, open space that invites visitors to reflect on the landscape of the Aral Sea

The pavilion was more than a static installation; it was a vibrant hub for the Public Program, hosting daily workshops and conversations. To fully embody the spirit of Uzbek hospitality, the structure hosted key communal moments, including an inaugural dinner on the opening day and a traditional breakfast the following morning. These activations transformed the architectural space into a living laboratory of social exchange, where the themes of the exhibition were shared through authentic moments of gathering and dialogue.

Founded in 1618, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is one of Milan’s most important historic museums, preserving masterpieces collected by Cardinal Federico Borromeo and representing a cornerstone of the city’s artistic heritage.

At the core of the installation is a custom-designed interactive table, developed by BLΛCK in collaboration with Limiteazero, which allows visitors to explore Jan Brueghel the Elder’s works in depth. Through high-resolution imagery and intuitive touch interaction, guests can uncover minute and often hidden details—symbolic elements, scientific references, and compositional nuances that are not immediately visible to the naked eye. The experience also reveals the connections between the artworks, guiding visitors through a network of visual and thematic relationships that link one painting to another, transforming individual works into a coherent narrative system.

The interactive table transforms observation into participation, combining art, science, and spirituality within an intuitive and immersive digital environment. Designed for diverse audiences, the experience supports both educational engagement and contemplative discovery, extending the museum visit through a refined, accessible, and non-invasive digital language.

BLΛCK supported the realization of Saudi Arabia’s first-ever participation at the Triennale Milano International Exhibition, contributing to the delivery of Maghras, A Farm for Experimentation within the historic venue of Triennale Milano. The project marks a landmark cultural presence for the Kingdom in Italy, positioned within the 24th International Exhibition, Inequalities, and presented to the public from May 13 to November 9, 2025.

Curated by Lulu Almana and Sara Al Omran with Alejandro Stein as Creative Director, Maghras investigates the transformation of Al Ahsa — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest oases. Named after the spatial unit defined by four palm trees, the pavilion draws on a year-long working program involving cultural practitioners, architects, researchers, and community members to examine the entanglements between land, labor, and memory.

The pavilion in Milan presents the outcomes of this extended intervention through three new commissions: an installation by Leen Ajlan built entirely from farming byproduct waste; a multimedia film work by Mohammed Alfaraj reimagining a local folk tale; and a sonic essay by Sawtasura drawn from women’s oral histories and environmental knowledge. Together, these contributions frame Al Ahsa as a hybrid urban-rural landscape shaped by inherited practices and rapid modernization, prompting a shared reflection on its cultural and ecological future.