Involving people in a profound and individual experience, especially in a context characterized by a large amount of inputs and information, such as that of a major event, is a challenge that design and architecture have tirelessly faced throughout the modern era, starting with the magic lanterns that were the ancestors of cinema, and the Universal Exhibitions. It is from exhibitions that we discover the form of the pavilion, the one that best isolates the experience, making it all-encompassing – the built symphonies of Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis at Expo 1958 in Brussels, or even Austria, which created a capsule forest in the middle of Expo 2015 in Milan to tell the story of the quality of its air.

But when, on the other hand, it comes to the form of the installation, surrounded by other similar ones each channeling its own message, perhaps in an open space, the experiential mandate goes way up, followed in its growth by the value of the challenge.

A challenge taken up by Besenzoni, a reference company in the nautical sector, for Milano Design Week 2025: “Riflessi sul Mare”, the installation developed in collaboration with Christian Grande Studio, will characterize one of the epicentres of the Fuorisalone, the main courtyard at the Università degli Studi, creating an experiential core where light interacts with space, nature and architecture.

“Riflessi sul Mare” (Reflections on the sea) is conceived as an invitation to contemplation: it is a composition of mirrored metal surfaces that capture and diffuse light, interacting with finishes in the colours of the marine environment, operating an atmospheric transformation that remains discreet while acting on deep levels of perception. It is the experience of living surrounded by a radiant sky and the reflections of crystal-clear water, evoked to present the star project of the installation, the Manta helm seat.

Manta is another project born from an experiential and perceptive concept. It is more than just a piece of furniture: as its name suggests, it is a functional reinterpretation of the light and dynamic hovering of a manta ray; it also integrates the functions of a helm seat – such as the touch control on the armrest – in a clean and fluid line harmonizing technological innovation with the search for aesthetic balance and the evocative power of forms.

Besenzoni returns to associate one of its designs with a narrative device, after its debut at Fuorisalone with the Flow installation in 2023, which enveloped the Oceano ladder/platform, an unprecedented combination of multiple uses and shapes, in the flow of an organic and evolving form. 

It is a new expression of the spirit that constitutes the company’s DNA, accompanying it on a journey that began in 1967 in Sarnico, on Lake Iseo, to grow and embrace different sectors of the nautical market: a commitment to research and to the invention of solutions that, while highly functional, are able to convey a subtle emotion. Innovation, in a word.