230 Volt-i: Vimar at Milan Design Week 2026
On the occasion of Milano Design Week 2026, Vimar is exhibiting at one of the event’s most innovative venues, Super Studio Maxi Barona, with an exclusive installation conceived and curated by designer Giulio Iacchetti. Centred on the formal aesthetic of the cover plate, 230 Volt-i is a project that explores new expressive possibilities.
The three-module cover plate from the iconic Plana wiring series serves as the foundation for a collection of faces. It is metaphorically transformed into a mask with a distinct mouth, where the controls themselves play the starring role. A mass-produced object, originally designed to be neutral and inconspicuous, thus reveals its presence, expressing itself through a variety of interpretations: ironic, minimalist, expressive and unsettling.
To shape these 3D-printed masks, Giulio Iacchetti collaborated with 37 creators. These internationally renowned designers and architects have joined a collective project to provide diverse responses to the same challenge: transforming an everyday device into a face.
The concept unfolds within a 150-square-metre exhibition space conceived as a contemporary art gallery. On a grey wall, the Volt-i are arranged at regular intervals and attached to Plana cover plates, creating an immersive and surreal effect that encourages active visitor engagement. Guests are invited to click on the controls, altering the aesthetic of the face at will.
This interaction reshapes our relationship with the cover plate, transforming it from a purely functional element into a protagonist. The installation serves as a testament to Vimar’s constant focus on design and its ability to make the often-unnoticed visible through unprecedented forms, refined materials, innovation and technology.
Giulio Iacchetti
Giulio Iacchetti is a designer, author and curator of exhibitions and books. He has designed for numerous brands including Alessi, Coop, Danese Milano, Ferrero, Ferrovie dello Stato, Foscarini and Moleskine. He is the artistic director of several brands including Abet Laminati, dnd Handles and MV Line.
In 2023, he co-founded the brand, il Tornitore Matto, with Alberto Alessi. The Triennale di Milano hosted a solo exhibition dedicated to him, “Giulio Iacchetti. Disobedient Objects”.
He has won two Compasso d'Oro awards and the Premio dei Premi for Innovation, bestowed by the President of the Italian Republic for his project, Design alla Coop.
