Last year our Paved States exhibition turned a suite at The Mart into something NeoCon hadn’t quite seen before: part gallery, part shop, part argument for what independent design could look like at one of the industry’s biggest trade shows. Our second iteration of Paved States, Edition 02, takes the concept up a notch.
Paved States x Haworth DesignLab returns to The Mart this June, co-curated by Patricia Urquiola and our Editor-in-Chief Chris Force. The show is also presented in part by The Mart, IIDA, and Gantri. Together they’ve taken over Suite 121 and the South Lobby, two of the most trafficked spaces in commercial design, and handed them to a roster of North American designers who make something worth stopping for. Think lived-in apartment more than exhibition floor, or a curated landscape of sculptural furniture and designed objects you can browse, touch, and move through, anchored by a central listening room.
In addition to curation and space conception by Studio Urquiola, Patricia will also participate in two “Ask Anything” sessions alongside the exhibiting designers.
While installations like Alcova have become a fixture during Milan Design Week, Paved States continues to bring that same spirit of experimental design to Chicago. Rendering courtesy of Studio Urquiola
While installations like Alcova have become a fixture during Milan Design Week, Paved States continues to bring that same spirit of experimental design to Chicago.
The exhibition features work from a wide-spanning list of designers across North America: Zac Benloulou, Studio Rotolo and Stefano Giacomello, Ceren Arslan of Bureau Betak & EXIT Ceren, Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore, Malcolm Majer, Hannah Bigeleisen, Kiki Goti, Lauren Goodman, Madeline Isakson, Jean-Michel Gadoua, Guillermo and Alaide Alejandre, MARMAR Studio, and Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia.
Furniture, lighting, sculpture, and the in-between showcases work from designers who are defining what comes next, given the space to prove it.
Zac Benloulou of Pavilion Audio Systems is a designer of bespoke sound systems that merge acoustic performance with a considered approach to space, form, and material. Photo courtesy of Zac Benloulou
This year’s exhibition also includes a new lineup of design-led programming. Benjamin Edgar, a Chicago designer and founder of Boxed Water and An Object Company, will sit down with Chris for a conversation on building a practice without a rulebook. Tim Nicholson, aka Secret of Manna, leads a dental couture workshop where each participant is custom molded on-site and leaves fitted for their own one-of-a-kind silver tooth cap, handcrafted and delivered after the event.
Noel Mercado will guide participants through hand-stitching and stamping their own custom wallet or cardholder. Sinead Cleary and Liz Topp, founders of Chicago’s experimental floral studio Nerine, close out the workshops with a session on floral design as sculptural practice.
A concept store will also round out the space with design and lifestyle objects by Julius Works, Clue Perfumes, Studio Formbart, Metalepsis Projects, and more. Our bookstore and newsstand will also return stocked with the most interesting design and lifestyle titles.
The Osiris Of This Shit by Jean-Michel Gadoua, a decorative screen made of raw aluminum. Photo courtesy of Jean-Michel Gadoua
Paved States x Haworth DesignLab opens Monday, June 8 with a cocktail reception from 5-8 PM with drinks, live music, special activations, and the launch of Sixtysix Issue 16.
The show runs June 7–10, 2026 in Suite 121 and the South Lobby of The Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago. NeoCon registration is required to attend the opening reception. The exhibition is open to the public throughout the week.
Register at pavedstates.com
