To coincide with the NYCxDesign Festival and ICFF in New York, INTERNI presents its May issue, which marks a first for the magazine: for the first time, a Guest Editor has been brought on board to work alongside the editorial team on the editorial content.

The guest is architect Carlo Ratti, founder of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, one of the most influential figures in the contemporary debate on architecture, technology and changes in the way we live, and curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.

As Gilda Bojardi, editor-in-chief of INTERNI, points out, “this issue marks a significant turning point, as it introduces a new approach to editorial content within the magazine, one capable of weaving together diverse international perspectives and design languages”. The appointment of a Guest Editor such as Carlo Ratti reinforces the magazine’s commitment to interpreting the present through the lens of changes in the way we live and in contemporary society, adopting an approach that transcends disciplinary boundaries. Ratti explores a theme that is particularly close to his heart, which we have welcomed with enthusiasm: The Polyamorous Home. “It is a reflection on our daily lives, built upon a network of emotional connections which, going beyond traditional family ties, extend to social and friendship circles, and even include objects, animals and nature”.

Carlo Ratti views the home as a relational ecosystem in a state of constant flux. “Contemporary living is no longer a static condition,” observes Ratti, “but a dynamic organism in which human and non-human, biological and artificial, material and digital dimensions coexist, continually redefining the boundaries of the domestic sphere”.

The publication also features contributions from leading figures in contemporary thought, including Carlo Antonelli, Patricia Urquiola, Beatriz Colomina, Mark Wigley, Aaron Betsky, Emanuele Coccia, alongside Antonio Marras – whose work also features on the issue’s poster-style cover, the result of a special photo shoot featuring ‘polyamorous’ garments designed specifically for the issue – and an international network of architects, designers and scholars who explore the theme of living as a broad field of relationships and cross-pollination.

Alongside the feature section, a comprehensive report is devoted to the third edition of BIG ITALY DESIGN NEW YORK, featuring over 50 Italian single-brand showrooms and flagship stores spread across Madison Avenue, NoMad and SoHo. The narrative highlights the presence of Italian design in the city through architecture, brands and projects that help to define a distinct network of connections between Italy and the United States.

EVENTS
INTERNI returns to New York with a packed programme of events that further strengthen the ties between Italian design firms and the American design world, cementing what has now become a permanent fixture of New York Design Week. The entire programme forms part of a strategy developed in partnership with ITA – Italian Trade Agency, which transforms the city into a widespread platform for Italian-made products, capable of forging direct links between companies, designers and industry professionals from all over the world. It is within this context that Erica Di Giovancarlo, Director ofICE – the Italian Trade Agency in New York, operates. She is committed to strengthening the presence of Italian businesses in the United States through initiatives that combine cultural promotion and commercial development, including the ‘Italy on Madison’format, designed as an experiential and networking platform that brings Italian brands into direct dialogue with the American public.

The programme kicks off on 11 May at the historic Rizzoli bookshop on Broadway, with the launch of the May issue of INTERNI and the book Milano Design Hub & Spoke at an event that brings together designers, critics and leading figures from the Italian and American creative sectors, marking the start of a week that blends editorial content with urban engagement. The guests include: Morris Adjmi, founder of Morris Adjmi Architects; Rui Guan, Project Manager; and Javier Madero, architect and curator CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati.

From 12 May to 15 July, the ITA – Italian Trade Agency headquarters on 67th Street will host Design, Theater of Excellence, conceived in collaboration with INTERNI and designed by Paola Navone and Cristina Pettenuzzo – OTTO Studio. The entire building will be transformed into an immersive exhibition space dedicated to Italian design. The OTTO Studio project is conceived as a grand theatrical performance, where visitors are welcomed by a true opening curtain that leads into a sequence of spaces arranged like successive scenes. Every room becomes a “postcard” of the iconic Italian cities: Milan, Rome, Cortina, Venice, Turin, Florence, Rimini and Capri, evoking the spirit of the Grand Tour and its focus on cultural and sensory discovery. Italian manufacturing excellence and industrial design are interpreted through scenic sets inspired by the languages of theatre and photography, and, with over 180 pieces from 50 Italian furniture brands, they create a visual and narrative journey that takes the viewer on an imaginary tour of the country. This approach presents ‘Made in Italy’ as a narrative that bridges identity, innovation and the international market, building on the initiatives developed as part of Italy on Madison.

Within this immersive narrative, interior design, homeware, fashion, textiles, fragrances, food and wine intertwine to form a single scenic composition, in which ‘Made in Italy’ is portrayed as a complex cultural system capable of uniting production, imagination and identity. The exhibition design thus creates a seamless experience, in which the exhibition space is transformed into a narrative and the materials themselves become a form of expression.

The official opening, which will take place on 13 May, will feature a discussion bringing together American architects and Italian entrepreneurs, focusing on the role of design as a shared language and a tool for regeneration across different cultural and industrial systems. The speakers will include: an opening address by Gilda Bojardi, the ambassador for Italian Design Day in New York, who will talk about IDD Re-Design. Regenerating Spaces, Objects, Ideas, Relations, followed by a discussion on the same topic between US designers Marc Fornes (Architect), Hani Rashid (Architect) and Nao Tamura (Designer), and business leaders such as John Edelman (President of Haworth Lifestyle North and South America), Gabriele Salvatori (CEO of Salvatori) and Andrea Sasso (President and CEO of Dexelance). Moderated by Carlo Biasia, INTERNI Architect

On 15 and 16 May, the third edition of BIG ITALY DESIGN NEW YORKkicks off, organised in partnership with NYCxDesign and ICFF: an urban itinerary spanning NoMad, Madison Avenue and SoHo, bringing together over 50 Italian showrooms and flagship stores. The circuit unfolds as a comprehensive map of Italian design’s presence in the city, featuring presentations, meetings and events involving international designers and professionals, thereby strengthening the dialogue between industry and design culture.

From 17 to 19 May, INTERNI will be exhibiting at the ICFF – International Contemporary Furniture Fair, at the Javits Center, with the INTERNI Lounge designed by Francesca Portesine (SOM – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill). The space is designed as a welcoming environment that fosters connections, encouraging interaction between designers, companies and international professionals, whilst offering a respite from the hustle and bustle of the fair and a unique vantage point on contemporary Italian design.

To round off the programme, on 18 May, INTERNI will be partnering with Istituto Marangoni for a talk at the ITA – Italian Trade Agency headquarters, entitled ‘Design as a bridge between memory and innovation: the future role of education’. The event will be opened by Gilda Bojardi, editor-in-chief of INTERNI, and Erica Di Giovancarlo, director of ICE – Italian Trade Agency in New York. Speakers will include Giulio Cappellini, Art Director and Brand Ambassador at Istituto Marangoni Milano Design; Sergio Nava, Global Scientific Director of Design at Istituto Marangoni; and Josh Owen, Director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies.

The May issue of INTERNI is also distributed extensively in the most representative showrooms and flagship stores of the NoMad, Madison Avenue and Soho circuit; ICFF; the most important design studios in New York; major design and architecture schools; Libreria Rizzoli; and a select number of book and magazine stores.