For the 2026 edition, the 5Vie district presents QoT - Qualia of Things, a theme that invites us to look at design not only as form or function, but as a sensory experience. The reference is the philosophical concept of qualia, the subjective aspects of perception - the “what it feels like” of experiencing something. In a moment dominated by the Internet of Things, the focus shifts from device connectivity to the ability of objects to engage the senses and generate emotions.

Within the district, the program unfolds as a widespread route through historic courtyards, galleries, and converted industrial spaces, bringing together designers, artists, artisans, and international institutions. The heart of the event is once again the headquarters at the Cavallerizze of the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, the starting point of a journey that crosses the entire district, where a series of installations investigates the relationship between matter, perception, and transformation.

"Design becomes a language capable of uniting perception and sensation, data and experience, in a world increasingly chaotically evolving between technology and biology," said the organizers. "In this space of transformation, the urgency of preserving the human dimension of feeling emerges. We cannot rely solely on data measurement or the power of algorithms: we must reevaluate the centrality of sensations and internal experiences, which give meaning to our experience of reality. These are not merely measurable data, but irreducible experiences, unique and personal ones. From this perspective, QoT invites us to understand that it is not enough to observe an object: we must feel, recognize, and appreciate what it transmits to our consciousness."

Fuorisalone 2026
5Vie Design Week
April 20 – 26, 2026
Milan - Italy

Image: Marco Guazzini and Maria Cristina Didero, Risonanze