‘Inspired in Barcelona: Materia prima’ draws over 34,000 visitors at Milan Design Week

“Inspired in Barcelona: Materia prima” closed its successful run at Milan Design Week 2026 with a total of 34.091 visitors, confirming its growing international impact and attracting nearly 10.000 more visitors than last year.

At the Chiesa del Carmine, in the middle of Brera, one of Milan’s most important design districts, the installation used bread and olive oil, two essential elements of Mediterranean culture, to take visitors on a sensory journey through the creative process.

Curated and designed by Queralt Suau, with the participation of photographer Txema Salvans and designer Andreu Carulla, and with exhibition graphics by Run Design, the exhibition translated the complexity of creation into an immersive and accessible experience. It connected matter, culture, and design while portraying Barcelona and Catalonia’s creative ecosystem.

Visitors were particularly drawn to the central oil installation —a sculptural, ever-changing piece— as well as to Salvans’ large-scale photographic collage, capturing a collective portrait of the creative community. The experience culminated in a participatory moment, featuring bread created by Baluard in collaboration with Andreu Carulla, paired with olive oil from the cooperative L’Olivera.

The exhibition also featured the large illuminated “Barcelona” sign, designed by Antoni Arola —originally created for the city’s Christmas lighting— here presented in a new context and at a different time of year, acquiring a renewed meaning within the installation.

With this seventh edition in Milan, Inspired in Barcelona reinforces its role as a platform to project Barcelona’s creative ecosystem internationally, through experiences that connect storytelling, design and cultural identity.

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