Panasonic Wins Milano Design Award 2017 for "Best Storytelling" at Milano Salone

The Milano Design Award marks the best exhibition designs of Milano Design Week

Milan, Italy - Panasonic Corporation presented "Electronics Meets Crafts:," an installation celebrating the aesthetic awareness and superior technical craftsmanship of Japanese traditional crafts and electronics, at Milano Salone in Milan, Italy, April 4-9, 2017. On April 6, 2017, Panasonic was honored with the Milano Design Award 2017 for Best Storytelling in the competition that selects the best exhibitions of Milano Design Week. This is the second year in a row for Panasonic to receive an award for its exhibition at Milano Salone, winning the People's Choice Award in 2016 for "KUKAN."

The Milano Design Award contains six award categories in addition to its main award each year, and recipients are chosen by an international jury judging the concept and technology of each exhibition. The competition is managed by the Milano Fuori Salone committee and various organizations including 'elita - enjoy living Italy' and 'IED-Istituto Europeo di Design,' among others.

The Award for Best Storytelling honors the exhibition which has best expressed a clear message through its story and other communication. Considering Panasonic's "Electronics Meets Crafts:," Milano Design Award stated: "It has a flowing story, and contains state-of-the-art technology complete with magnificent traditional crafts. Beginning with its Design Philosophy, the story behind the specifics of its "Future Craft" prototypes is excellent, and this continued with the exceptional connections made between the dynamic and moody installation of the first area and the still, unchanging emotion of the products in the second."

Michiko Ogawa, Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation and Project Leader of the exhibition remarked: "For this company, Milano Salone was the perfect opportunity to introduce the future possibilities and new concepts of our Panasonic Design. By receiving valuable insight from so many on this international stage, we have learned the importance of presenting our Philosophy and showing the greatness of Japan's traditional crafts or cutting-edge technology to the world. I would like to express my gratitude to both Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and the joint collaboration of Kyoto craftspeople, GO ON, for their partnership in realizing this project."

Shuichi Furumi, of SD Associates, Inc. and General Producer of Panasonic's exhibition, also commented on the Award for Best Storytelling. "We have created a singular story that takes place in two historical spaces at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. The prologue's abstract installation uses Nishijin-ori (a traditional Japanese silk brocade) as a backdrop in the courtyard, and the main story in the underground passageway expresses both the symbolic and detailed communication of the exhibited products. I believe we have succeeded in a dramatic expression of "Electronics Meets Crafts:."

Panasonic considers the exhibition of "Future Craft" prototypes at this year's Milano Salone as another step forward and will continue to contemplate the fusion of home electronics and traditional crafts in its future designs and products.