Visionary interior and furniture concepts, created by international designers and firms, will take the stage at the IMM Cologne “Featured Editions” exhibit from January 18 to 24. An expert panel chose 14 designs from international companies to be displayed in the exhibit: Alfredo Häberli for Alias, Sebastian Herkner for Ames, Giulio Cappellini for Cappellini, Pascal Bosetti for Conmoto, e15, Fatboy, Redesign for Mitja, Cazzaniga Mandelli Pagliarulo for Pedrali, Sebastian Herkner for Pulpo, Roomsafari, Hubert and Matthias Sanktjohanser for Sankt Johanser, Dieter Thiel for Vitra, Emir Salkic for Zanat, and Kaschkasch for Zeitraum.

“Time and time again, we are surprised by how much creativity there is in this industry. This year, the stage set–like character of many of the entries is particularly striking. The installations, designed with so much wit and fantasy, will be an absolute delight for visitors to see,” says Dick Spierenburg, creative director of the fair. 

Among the exhibited works is Giulio Cappellini’s “Opposite Shadows,” which features two chairs inside a “symmetrical, tunnel-like color space with openings on opposite sides that display the same object in a different context.” In his “Colombian Design Trail” installation, Sebastian Herkner sets his collection of furniture souvenirs from South America (such as carpets and terra-cotta pots) to Colombian music. 

“At ‘Featured Editions,’ manufacturers and designers finally have the opportunity to tell a story—about a product, its design roots, and its production—or about the way that people interact with and perceive this product,” jury member Frank A. Reinhardt says of this year’s selection. “The presentations are becoming more narrative and photogenic all the time, making them rewarding objects for the members of the smartphone generation among the fair’s visitors.”

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