The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis will open its first-ever Design Triennial on October 17. Titled Beyond Materialism and running through February 14, 2027, the exhibition gathers approximately 95 new and recent works by 26 designers and collectives from more than ten countries — including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Nigeria, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Guest-curated by architect and Space Caviar founder Joseph Grima with the Walker's Asli Altay, the show asks how contemporary design can foreground immaterial concerns — spirituality, emotional connectedness and communal engagement — rather than material abundance. 'As faith in material abundance as a measure of happiness erodes, we need new metrics for prosperity,' Grima said, describing a generation of designers turning 'to a new idea of design that foregrounds immaterial concerns, attending to the soul and spirit as much as the body.' Seven designers make their US debut, among them Espace Aygo, Stef Fusani and Shao-Chun Hsu, while VESSEL (James Bridle and Navine G. Dossos) and Lucas Muñoz Muñoz created new commissions. Featured names also include Theaster Gates, Germane Barnes, Objects of Common Interest and Superflux. The triennial extends the Walker's design commitment back to its origins as a public art centre, when it launched pioneering modern-design projects; design remains central to its multidisciplinary programme. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated publication produced by the Walker's own design studio. Beyond Materialism is conceived as a long-term experiment: every three years the Walker will use the triennial to examine two questions — who is the designer, and what is design today. Grima framed the inaugural edition as gathering 'reflections and explorations — recent and not so recent — on how design can chart a richer and more imaginative alternative to rampant consumerism,' positioning the museum as a recurring stage for the field's self-interrogation.