The week of the Salone is no longer dedicated solely to objects, but to experiences. These are the words with which Maria Cristina Didero, curator and design scholar, opens the press conference for the presentation of Anima Mundi. A Visionary Impulse. A shift we have noticed too — and one that, perhaps, represents the most debated aspect for those who try to analyse the Design Week as a whole.
With this opening statement still ringing in our ears, we stepped into the magnificent Sala Barozzi of the Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano to let ourselves be carried away by the installation presented by Geely Auto — one of the world’s leading automotive brands — and created by Dotdotdot, a multidisciplinary design studio specialising in the creation of narrative environments.
Anima Mundi. A Visionary Impulse rests on three fundamental pillars: an approach to complexity inherent in Dotdotdot’s DNA, the intention to develop the concept of Technological Renaissance — which places people at the centre of every technological choice — and last, but certainly not least, the ambition to celebrate the nineteenth-century building that today houses the Istituto dei Ciechi.
The installation brings together sound design and visual design.
The sound dimension was inspired by the great organ housed in the Sala Barozzi. An instrument with a remarkable story: dating back to 1901, this organ was never actually played, as it was considered too innovative for the time in which it was built. And so, for all these years, it remained silent — until technology finally allowed its 4,000 pipes to resound.
The melody, in continuous transformation and influenced by the time of day, humidity, and the movements of people in the room, unfolds alongside a series of generated images projected onto five monumental semi-transparent veils, each dedicated to a different natural environment: the marine world, the underground, the human-built landscape, untouched nature, and the aerial domain.
The visuals are undeniably powerful — they reflect across the architectural elements of the room, creating the sensation of walking through a boundless space — but it is ultimately the music that takes over and truly fills the room, allowing the experience to be savoured in full.
Anima Mundi. A Visionary Impulse demonstrates how opening a dialogue between the past and technology can transport us into new worlds and bring the future closer.
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Anima Mundi. A Visionary Impulse is part of the programme of events of the Porta Venezia Design District, of which Collater.al is a media partner. Here you can visit their website to discover all the events planned for Milan Design Week 2026.
