Madrid has transformed itself into the capital of design, offering a festival program full of events and news in the design, architecture and graphic sectors.

From. 8 February to 17 March 2024, the seventh edition of the Madrid Design Festival is going successfully by proposing interesting ideas through design, dialogue and understanding between professionals, companies and institutions. With a rich program never seen before: 53 exhibitions and installations, 177 brands, institutions and spaces and the participation of 695 professionals, MDF claims design as the tool capable of promoting a dialogue and providing a new look at the problems and circumstances that they mark our daily lives, providing solutions starting from a design table.

We have reserved for you the events that according to our experts are not to be missed!

MIL111 for Año Cajal | Proyect Nexos

Nexos is an audiovisual work presented in the context of new media art, which offers a reflection on the transdisciplinary influence of the research carried out by the distinguished Spanish Nobel Prize winner, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, in the field of Science and Technology of today.

The project explores how his contributions, pioneering in the fields of neuroscience and histology have left an enduring mark on diverse scientific fields such as computer science, astrophysics and quantum physics, transcending the traditional boundaries of scientific research. Through a conceptual and abstract approach, on the vertical garden at CaixaForum Madrid, the work invites the visitors to embark on a journey in three acts that will take them through the different neuronal networks of our time: biological, artificial and cosmic. 

Location  Vertical garden at CaixaForum Madrid

ANDREU WORLD Showroom

Andreu World and Madrid Design Festival join forces to present the Circular Design Challenge, an initiative that appeals to the collective conscience. Under the motto Manufacturing a better world, this challenge materializes Andreu World’s commitment to sustainability and seeks to address the urgent need for a new vision in more sustainable design, manufacturing and distribution on a global scale.

The Circular Design Challenge is a call to adopt practices such as ecodesign, zero waste management and neutral carbon footprint, selection of sustainable materials and adherence to certifications such as B Corp, Level 3, Cradle
to Cradle or Greenhealth Approved. These practices are oriented not only towards the environment, but also towards the well-being and health of people, as well as the full integration of circularity principles. This challenge seeks to inspire the adoption of greener approaches in the industry and encourage innovation and progress towards a positive impact for the planet.

Location  Calle Velázquez 26

GANDÍA BLASCO Showroom

Gandia Blasco Group and the 3D Models platform, BoModels, join forces to launch the first international 3D creation contest aimed at 3D artists, 3D art directors and all types of creatives who use 3D creation tools in their work.

The contest invites 3D artists from around the world to explore the visual universe of Gandia Blasco, connecting it with nature, inspirational proposals to highlight the importance of preserving our natural environment.

At a time of maximum exposure and digital creativity, Gandía Blasco and BoModels become pioneers in the fusion of a furniture brand and an e-commerce of 3D models, taking a step forward in the legitimization, union and official status of 3D assets with copyright on a platform of 3D models. 

Location  Calle Ortega y Gasset 28

GANCEDO Showroom

Gancedo’s history has always supported textile art, forming part of its DNA and its sensitivity towards the textile world, artistic currents and design. During Madrid Design Festival it presents the works of Federico Antelo and Raquel Rodrigo in its flagship store in Madrid.

Federico Antelo, plastic artist and textile designer, focuses his work on the artisanal printing process. It is not a mechanical process but a creative, delayed and reflective one, in which modifications occur on the initial proposal, and which are the consequence of experimentation on the fabric. Conceived as a piece of art, and a product of this dynamic between planning and event, each textile is unique. 

Location  C. de Velázquez 38, Salamanca

ROCA MADRID Gallery

In 2010, Roca created the Roca Gallery project as a meeting point and constant dialogue with society as a whole and, particularly, with those professionals with whom it shares the concern and interest in innovation in the bathroom space. This objective was expressed through physical spaces located in unique buildings in cities such as London, Shanghai, Beijing, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon.

As a MDF24 showroom and under the title Design with Soul. Craftsmanship and innovation, Roca will bring together a group of the most influential product designers in Spain at Roca Madrid Gallery, to reflect on the importance of applying innovative techniques to designs without leaving aside the tradition and craftsmanship still present and strong in our country. In addition, Roca Madrid Gallery will present its new showcase, designed by the Klunderbie studio and executed by Woodpeckers. 

Location  Calle José Abascal 57

Miguel Milá Exhibition

Curated by Claudia Oliva and Gonzalo Milá, the exhibition marks the apogee of an exceptional career: a unique retrospective of Miguel Milá, a pioneering figure in the creation and development of design in Spain. Intertwining his personal career and creations, the exhibition will house more than 200 original pieces, plans and original drawings, from prototypes to his most recent works.

With more than seven decades dedicated to the profession, Milá is not only an icon of Spanish design, but also one of the main exponents of the modern movement in the country. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has accumulated an impressive array of achievements and accolades, from the prestigious National Design Award in its first edition to the outstanding Compasso d’Oro Internazionale and the prestigious Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts.

Location Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa

Chairs: Icons of Modern Design Exhibition

Curated by Guillermo Gil Fernández and Pablo Sevilla, the exhibition Chairs: Icons of Modern Design. The Alexander von Vegesack collection is a tribute to human ingenuity and artistic expression, exploring the metamorphosis of chairs from their humble, handcrafted beginnings to the iconic designs which today reflect cultural, social and technological changes in our world.

Chairs, closely associated with the human body, of which they are always a counterpart, are complex objects that transcend their functional role. They are dynamic and changing artefacts reflecting the material innovations of each age along with transformations in industry, trends in social norms, changing aesthetic tastes or the impact of our lifestyle on the environment. Chairs not only reflect the practical needs and technical and material possibilities of any one time and place but also have a major role as symbols, as icons able to encapsulate the aspects defining the essence of a period.

The exhibition contains over 70 carefully selected pieces from the extraordinary collection of Alexander von Vegesack. It shows work by some of the most significant figures in the fields of design and architecture over the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Michael Thonet, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Alvar and Aino Aalto, Charles and Ray Eames, Gaetano Pesce, Verner Panton, Frank Gehry or Philippe Stark, among many others. 

Location Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa