The first edition of Forma Design Fair Madrid has just wrapped up, introducing a new platform dedicated to collectible contemporary design within the broader Madrid Design Festival. The initiative aims to strengthen Madrid’s role in the global design scene by highlighting Spanish craftsmanship and heritage, reinterpreted by emerging designers with a strong focus on sustainability, recycling, and upcycling.
Held at Matadero Madrid, the fair coincided with ARCO Madrid (the international contemporary art fair) and precedes the city’s fashion week, creating a continuous cultural season. Among the standout works were experimental lighting, soft-edged furniture, and artisanal textiles, alongside projects exploring innovative materials and traditional techniques.
Beyond the fair, the festival extends across the city with exhibitions and installations. Notable highlights include a major retrospective dedicated to André Ricard, showcasing decades of functional and minimalist design, and “Mediterranean Manifesto,” a group exhibition bringing together contemporary designers and artisans who reinterpret Mediterranean traditions through objects such as ceramics, textiles, and furniture.
Other exhibitions explore themes like lightness, domestic space, and contemporary living, presenting design as both a cultural reflection and a tool for rethinking everyday environments. Installations and curated shows across galleries and museums emphasize craftsmanship, material experimentation, and the evolving meaning of the home.
A prominent figure throughout the event is designer Lucas Muñoz Muñoz, known for his upcycling approach, who contributed to several projects in Madrid, including cultural spaces and culinary environments.
Overall, the festival positions Madrid as a dynamic hub where tradition meets innovation, and where design engages with social, environmental, and artistic concerns.
