From 12 to 20 September 2026, the eighth edition of Lake Como Design Festival unfolds across Como, Lake Como and, for the first time, Lecco, bringing exhibitions, installations and new collaborations under the theme “Border”.

Villa del Grumello

Rather than interpreting the border simply as a line that separates places, cultures or ideas, the festival approaches it as a space of encounter and exchange: a threshold where different perspectives meet, tensions emerge and transformation becomes possible. The theme therefore becomes both a conceptual framework and a tangible gesture: with its eighth edition, the festival crosses its own geographical boundaries, extending beyond Como and Lake Como to reach the city of Lecco for the first time.

This year's edition also launches a new exhibition programme developed in collaboration with the region's higher education institutions: the University of Insubria, the Como Conservatory, the Aldo Galli Academy of Como / IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, and the Politecnico di Milano – Lecco Campus. Through a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to this year's theme, the initiative aims to bring younger generations closer to the worlds of design, architecture, and art by offering dynamic and engaging cultural experiences. In doing so, the festival seeks to become not only a platform for culture but also a catalyst for long-term relationships and collaborations.

Among the returning venues, Villa del Grumello and its park once again open to the public as the setting for a new exhibition itinerary. Inside the villa, Future in the Past explores the relationship between memory and design, bringing together archives, manufacturing knowledge, and contemporary design practices. Far from presenting the archive as a mere repository of the past, the exhibition interprets it as a living space capable of generating new possibilities. This year's participants include artist Lupo Borgonovo with Disegno Nomade; Nicolò Spinelli and the historic Meda-based woodworking atelier Simonetto, presenting an architectural intervention designed by Elisa Ossino; Etel, returning to the festival with an exhibition dedicated to Lina Bo Bardi and her work as a furniture designer in Brazil; Proporzione Mediterranea, a project by Annarita Aversa of Architetti Artigiani Anonimi, curated by Giustini Stagetti Gallery; the Archivio Carla Badiali, presenting a selection of drawings developed primarily through Carla Badiali's collaborations with Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain; and 1in16 – A Border Divided, a Story Shared, curated by Francesca Brambilla. In the surrounding park, a new open-air exhibition route will frame Nella Natura: Stories of Those Who Chose Another Life, curated by Paola Manfredi with photographs by Selene Magnolia Gatti. Through images and texts, the exhibition tells the stories of six people who have chosen to inhabit the boundary between the city and the wilderness, inviting visitors to reflect on alternative ways of living and belonging.

Villa Saporiti

Also returning for this edition is the Contemporary Design Selection, the group exhibition curated for the fourth consecutive year by Giovanna Massoni and directed by Francesca Prandelli, the festival's Chief Coordinator. Hosted for the first time at Villa Saporiti, the exhibition invites independent designers, studios, architects, artists, craftspeople, collectives, and galleries to respond to this year's theme, Border.

Nomade

Nomade presents Fine Comune - an exhibition exploring the notions of boundary and shared space, developed under the creative direction of Ultrapresent Studio. Installed within the former Church of Santa Caterina, the exhibition brings together a selection of monochromatic concrete and metal sculptures by artist Luca Monterastelli, alongside Free System, the modular seating system by Acerbis, collectible design pieces from Movimento Gallery, and handcrafted rugs by cc-tapis.

After Evidence / Photography by Giulia Pirri

The Aldo Galli Academy of Como hosts After Evidence: From Forensic Purpose to Public Resonance, the third issue of Notes on Plural Intelligences, an editorial project by IED – Istituto Europeo di Design. The exhibition stems from an engagement with an archive of forensic images, exploring how these materials can acquire a new public presence beyond their original function.

At the Como Conservatory, Ultrapresent Studio curates Atto Puro, a project developed specifically for Lake Como Design Festival. The installation involves students from the Conservatory's Electronic Music programme together with Cosmos, the audio system designed and produced by Ultrapresent in 2025 for a live performance that revived a composition by Giusto Pio, originally produced by Franco Battiato in the late 1970s

Oltre al Vedere

Among this year's new projects, inaugurating both the exhibition programme developed in collaboration with the region's higher education institutions and the festival's first venues in Lecco, is Oltre al Vedere (Beyond Seeing), curated by Francesca Brambilla. Developed within the framework of Cultura Meccanica® by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, the project aims to make art and design accessible to blind and visually impaired audiences. Through innovative audio-tactile devices and multisensory experiences, it transforms what is traditionally perceived through sight alone into an inclusive sensory journey, fostering a new culture of accessibility