Guerrilla Milan Design Week Show Features 50 Conceptual Door Knobs

Curator Zaccaria Slater organized 'A Bunch of Knobs,' a nomadic exhibition of 50 conceptual door knobs during Milan Design Week as a protest against high venue fees. The show moved between key venues including Triennale museum, Brera Design District, and Zona Tortona over five days. Slater, a student at Chelsea College of Arts and Central Saint Martins, launched an open call on Instagram that drew 104 applications, expanding from 30 to 50 participants. Designers contributed £20 each. Highlights included Alex Lock's soap doorknob that washes hands, Louis Eager's pewter climbing grip, Luca Gruber's Janus-referencing brass knob, and Nao Iyama's wooden handle with a rolling marble. Slater also produced a limited-run publication and facilitated networking among participants. He plans to recreate the exhibition in London during the London Design Festival.