V-ZUG Explores Time and Matter at Milan Design Week 2024

V-ZUG’s installation this year tells a whimsical tale of contrast between time and matter.

For Milan Design Week 2024, Swiss luxury household brand V-ZUG joined a host of international homeware juggernauts to unveil an art installation encapsulating the brand’s design and technological prowess. Titled “Time and Matter”, the display featured sleek and innovative V-ZUG steam ovens and stoves elegantly integrated into travertine slabs, all set against the historic backdrop of Pinacoteca di Brera.

This installation marks the third collaboration between V-ZUG and Italian architect Elisa Ossino, this time with the additional support of art studio HENRYTIMI, led by “art interiors advocate” Henry Timi.

Their common approach in form and nature gave birth to this compelling installation that looks at humanistic design and technology in the kitchen from what Ossino calls the “techno-archaic” way – an aesthetic that fuses cutting-edge technology with the natural materials for timeless elegance.

Contrast is key here. Through a whimsical juxtaposition of V-ZUG appliances’ mirrored surfaces, hand-carved stones, and the rugged textures of large totems and a travertine monolithic, the display tells a tale of contrast between the old and the new, the past, and the future, while echoing the brand’s philosophy of advancing technology without compromising nature.

In tandem with the display launch was the debut of its inaugural Milan showroom, located just around the corner at Piazza San Marco in Brera. Also designed by Ossino with selected furniture collections done in collaboration with HENRYTIMI, the open-plan studio aims to stay contemporary and timeless through a balance of lightness and intensity.

The result is a sleek and sculptural space that is an artwork in its own right. Featuring a host of flagship ovens, steamers, and cooktops, the interior is governed by a soft, neutral palette to let the brand’s signature reflective surfaces stand out. The sculptural furniture is done with natural materials to reflect the brand’s philosophy of responsible culinary design.

Courtyards are a signature feature of Milanese architecture. To reflect the city’s own charm, the showroom is secluded on the outside yet spacious on the inside, courtesy of the double-height ceiling, with the a statement-making pendant serving as a common thread that visually connects the two floors.

Founded in 1913 in Zug, Switzerland, V-ZUG is a family-owned company that prioritises aesthetics and environment at its core. The brand has been carbon-neutral since 2020 and has also built a forest in Glen Lochy, Scotland, to help offset direct CO2 emissions. Features of its appliances are also designed with sustainability in mind, from the energy-saving programs of the washing machines to the highly efficient ovens, and the vacuum drawer that can seal, preserve, marinate, and sous-vide leftovers.

Celebrating its 111th anniversary, the home appliances brand hosted a gala dinner during Design Week at the esteemed Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense public library, graced by an avant-garde installation conceived by artist Stefano Roveda as an homage to the brand’s innovative prowess. Another highlight of the evening was a poetic dance performance by Teatro delle Moire, which brought the paintings in the Pinacoteca di Brera to life in an abstract manner. The gala’s seasonal menu, prepared by the V-ZUG Gourmet Academy with regional ingredients, was also inspired by the symbolic motifs of the artworks.

Experience the collection up close and personal at the V-ZUG Studio in Piazza San Marco 4, Milan.