Design Beyond Things

Design Beyond Things. The Object as an Agent of Transformation is the official exhibition organised by the European Union at Expo 2025 Osaka running from 31 August to 13 September 2025. Curated by Patrizia Catalano, architect, professional journalist and founder of HoperAperta, and Miriam Giordano, communication expert, founder and director of Labóh, the collective exhibition is presented in the EU Pavilion, bringing together over 30 design projects by leading designers from 16 EU Member States.

The exhibition aims to invite visitors to reflect on the lexicon of European contemporary design at a time of deep social transformation and urgent need for new hopes for the future. Through the selected pieces, it highlights the transformative power of design — from embracing circular lifecycles and sustainable production to reclaiming a sense of local and global identities.

Among the participating designers are some of Europe’s most influential creative voices, including Klemens Schillinger, Paulineplusluis, Anne Brandhøj, Maria Bruun, Akiko and Ken, Antrei Hartikainen, Gaspard Fleury-Dugy, GamFratesi, Raffaella Mangiarotti, Carmelo Zappulla, BCXSY, Kiki Van Eijk, Studio Mae Engelgeer, Anna Lébényi, Dace Sūna, Austėja Platūkytė, Mantas Lesauskas, Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska, Andreu Carulla, Inma Bermúdez, Álvaro Catalán de Ocón, among many others.

Rooted in the values of the New European Bauhaus and aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda and Expo’s central theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, the exhibition will be complemented by a programme of talks and international exchanges. Together, they will turn the EU Pavilion into a space of ongoing dialogue about the role of design in transforming and improving our living environment.

Organised by the European Union 
With the support of Labóh and HoperAperta 
Curated by Patrizia Catalano and Miriam Giordano 
Technical partners USM Modular Furniture