MCM celebrates its 50th anniversary with Disco on Marsan immersive installation created with Atelier Biagetti for Milan Design Week 2026. Unveiled at the Rotonda del Pellegrini, the project continues the brand’s ongoing collaboration with the Milan-based studio, introducing a spatial narrative that moves through design, sound and performance. The installation is based on the long-standing concept of MCM “From Munich to Mars” positioning the exhibition as a speculative extension of brand identity in a constructed future.
The structure unfolds over three levels, each defined by a distinct atmosphere and function. Visitors enter through Level 0, the Workshop, where MCM’s past and future converge through a series of limited edition objects. Designed by Atelier Biagetti and redesigned using MCM’s Visetos monogram, these pieces include Orbit, a robot-inspired pouf, Gravity, a reinterpretation of a hand weight, Mach-1, a helmet that references space travel, and Alphabet, a Bauhaus-influenced set of geome-shaped candles. The presentation introduces these objects into a controlled environment shaped by a sound composition by Michele Tadini, where mechanical rhythms and layered signals suggest a state of suspension, zero gravity.
From there, the experience shifts to Level 1, where the facility opens onto an ice rink that has been configured as a central gathering point. A robot DJ, developed in collaboration with ABB, controls the sound direction of the venue, playing a curated selection Sound Metaphor DJs. The atmosphere changes here, moving away from the controlled environment of The Lab towards a more immediate, natural energy. The ice rink acts as a moving stage, with visitors and performers occupying the same space, while choreographed interventions take place throughout the week. This part of the installation introduces a clash between references, where disco culture intersects with a for-profit environment shaped by automation and artificial presence.
The final level, Diva Dome, changes the focus again. Located under the dome of the Rotonda del Pellegrini, the space focuses on the voice as the main medium. The operatic performance by Laura Baldassari reinterprets Casta Diva through a composition developed with Michele Tandinichanging its structure and context. The voice works both as a historical reference and as a constructed sound element, linking the past and the future into a single performance. In the center of the space, a sculptural figure titled Avatar anchors the environment, surrounded by controlled lighting that maintains a sense of suspension. Access to this level remains restricted, reinforcing its position as a more restricted and focused part of the facility.
On all three levels, the project treats objects as active elements rather than static displays. Each piece works within a larger system that connects architecture, sound and movement, creating a sequence in which visitors move rather than observe from a distance. This approach aligns with Atelier Biagetti’s ongoing interest in building environments where objects propose new forms of interaction and perception, positioning design as a tool to shape behavior as much as space.
Alongside the installation, MCM is introducing a selection of products associated with the project. These include updated versions of the Ella Boston, Ottomar Weekender and New Liz Shopper, produced in Visetos variations, along with the MCM x Nymphenburg Diamond Cup, a porcelain object defined by its clean geometry. Additional releases include the Cosmic Star fragrance and a Mars mask developed in collaboration with Marcolinexpanding the project into accessories and product design.
The installation runs from April 21 to 26, 2026, with an invitation-only opening preview on April 20 and remains accessible to the public by scheduled admission. Placed within the wider context of Milan Design Week, Disco on Mars operates both as a standalone project and as part of a larger network of exhibitions across the city, where brands and studios use spatial installations to communicate direction, identity and future intentions.
With Disco on Mars, MCM is using its anniversary to create an environment that goes beyond product presentation, focusing instead on how design, sound and spatial experience can work together in a single context.
