Inspired in Barcelona: Materia prima

“Inspired in Barcelona: Materia prima” is the installation that Barcelona presents at Milan Design Week 2026 (20–26 April), a project that transforms the creative process into a sensory experience through two essential elements of Mediterranean culture: bread and olive oil.

Through these two ingredients, the installation reflects on design as a practice defined not by its final outcome, but by the process that makes it possible—an ongoing balance between intuition, research, matter and transformation.

Curated and designed by the Queralt Suau studio, with the participation of photographer Txema Salvans and designer Andreu Carulla, the project brings together different voices from Catalonia’s creative ecosystem in a collective narrative about how ideas are born, evolve and find their balance.

In dialogue with the Fuorisalone 2026 theme, Essere Progetto, the installation frames design as an open and dynamic process, where the role of the creator—and their capacity to experiment—is central.

A journey through the creative process

The installation unfolds in three moments that guide visitors through this idea:

Introduction
The journey begins with a transition into a calmer space, where bread and earth shape a sensory landscape. Olive oil, in constant motion across a table, generates reflections—“auroras”—that evoke the energy and balance of ideas.

Ideas in balance
A large-scale collective photograph by Txema Salvans brings together professionals from different fields—from gastronomy to product, fashion and interior design—representing the diversity of the creative ecosystem and the constant search for balance that underpins any design process.

Taste experience
The journey concludes with a participatory installation designed by Andreu Carulla, where visitors can interact with olive oil, create their own “auroras,” and complete the experience through taste, with a bread specially conceived for dipping in olive oil.

Matter, culture and ecosystem

“Inspired in Barcelona: Materia prima” positions matter as the narrative thread connecting tradition, innovation and design culture. The installation becomes a collective expression of a diverse and cross-disciplinary creative ecosystem—one that integrates different fields, experiments with new languages, and projects its own distinct approach to design internationally.

The project also incorporates a symbolic element of the city: the illuminated “Barcelona” sign designed by Antoni Arola, integrated into the exhibition to reinforce the connection between identity, context, and creativity.

The installation is organised by the Barcelona Creativity & Design Foundation, with the support of Barcelona City Council through Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHub), and the Government of Catalonia through ACCIÓ – Catalonia Trade & Investment, in collaboration with Baluard, Brava Arts, L’Olivera, Roca and Simon.