MAQAM (X) | A Space for Culture, Memory and Connection

On the power of music, art, design and cultural heritage to bring us together.

There is something I have been thinking about a great deal lately. How quickly the world around us is changing.

The way we communicate, the places we live, the things we create and even the way we experience one another seem to be moving faster than ever.

We are more connected than at any other moment in history, yet sometimes I wonder whether we are losing some of the very things that once brought us together.

The stories passed down through generations. The rituals around a table. The sound of a familiar melody. The objects we keep, not because of their material value, but because of what they remind us of.

Perhaps this is why I have always been so fascinated by culture.

Because while the world changes, culture has this extraordinary ability to remind us of who we are, where we come from and, more importantly, what we share.

And sometimes, all it takes is a piece of music, a work of art or a conversation with a stranger to realise just how much we have in common.

The Stories We Carry

When I founded MARK / GIUSTI, I never wanted to create simply another accessories brand. I wanted to create something that had meaning.

Growing up surrounded by different cultures, traditions and influences, I became fascinated by how design could tell stories without necessarily using words.

The geometry of a mosaic. The craftsmanship behind an object. The colours of a particular city. The patterns that travel across borders, evolving over centuries while retaining something of their origins.

These things have always interested me far more than trends.

Our signature mosaics, for example, are not simply decorative patterns. They are part of a much larger cultural language, one that has travelled through civilisations, architecture and generations.

What fascinates me is how something created hundreds of years ago can still feel relevant today. How a traditional technique can find a new expression in a contemporary object. How something that belongs to the past can become part of someone's future.

I believe this is one of the most important responsibilities we have as designers. Not simply to create something new, but to understand what came before us and find ways to carry it forward.

Because preserving culture does not mean keeping it unchanged or locked away in a museum.

It means allowing it to live. To evolve. To be experienced, questioned, shared and rediscovered by new generations.

When Music Becomes a Meeting Place

On Thursday, 19 November, at The House of MARK / GIUSTI in Milan, we will introduce a new cultural experience as part of our Giovedì da Giusti community evenings, in collaboration with Palestinian composer and musician Tareq Abu Salameh.

MAQAM (X) — A Space for Memory to Unfold.

What makes this collaboration particularly special to me is how naturally it came about.

It all began one evening during the final days of our Li Beirut installation at Milan Design Week. Tareq happened to walk past Casa Giusti and, drawn by the intimate lighting and the feeling of a home rather than a traditional boutique, decided to come inside.

We immediately connected.

What started as a casual encounter soon became a long conversation about art, music, design, culture and the extraordinary ways they connect us, regardless of where we come from.

I have always loved these spontaneous encounters. They remind me why we created our House in the first place. Sometimes the most meaningful collaborations begin without a plan, simply because two people discover that they share a similar way of seeing the world.

And that evening, I began asking myself a question.

What if we could create an intimate gathering where people from different backgrounds could come together through music, art and conversation, without necessarily sharing the same language, history or beliefs?

The idea felt perfectly aligned with everything we have been building at MARK / GIUSTI through our collaborations, cultural installations and community evenings.

The word maqam carries different meanings across cultural traditions. In Arabic music, it refers to a melodic framework that allows musicians to explore emotion, memory and improvisation.

I find something beautiful in that idea. A structure rooted in tradition, yet open to interpretation. Something passed down through generations, while allowing each musician to bring their own voice.

In many ways, it is not so different from design.

For this first edition, Tareq will share a live solo performance on the oud, an instrument deeply rooted in Arab musical traditions, whose sound has travelled across centuries and cultures.

There is something deeply human about its music. A warmth, an intimacy and an ability to communicate feelings that words sometimes struggle to express.

I find it remarkable how music can transport us to places we may never have visited, or awaken memories we didn't even realise we were carrying.

You don't need to understand the musical language of maqam to feel something when you hear it.

You simply need to listen.

And perhaps, in a world where we spend so much time speaking, reacting and moving from one thing to another, listening is becoming one of the most valuable things we can do.

The Majlis — A Tradition That Connects Cultures

The evening will take inspiration from the traditional majlis, a gathering deeply rooted in Arab culture and closely connected to the traditions of hospitality, conversation and community that I grew up with in the Levant and across the Mediterranean.

I have always been fascinated by this tradition. The simple act of welcoming people into a home, sharing food, music, stories and ideas, and allowing conversations to unfold naturally, sometimes late into the evening.

But what I find particularly beautiful is that this spirit of gathering is not unique to one culture.

Throughout history, different civilisations have created their own spaces for human connection. From the diwan of the Levant and the symposia of ancient Greece to the Italian salotti, the literary salons of France and the cafés where European artists, writers and philosophers once exchanged ideas.

Different traditions, different settings, yet a remarkably similar human desire: to come together, share knowledge, challenge perspectives and learn from one another.

I believe these encounters are essential to our personal growth. When we open ourselves to another person's culture, history or way of thinking, we begin to see the world beyond our own experiences. We become more curious, more understanding and, perhaps, more generous versions of ourselves.

And we begin to recognise something important: despite our different languages, beliefs and backgrounds, we share far more than what separates us.

Our differences do not have to divide us. They can be precisely what brings us closer together.

This is the spirit we want to bring to MAQAM (X).

Through music, art, design, craftsmanship and conversation, we hope to recreate that intimate feeling of belonging within The House of MARK / GIUSTI.

A contemporary interpretation of an ancient tradition, where guests are not simply spectators but participants in a shared cultural experience.

I want people to feel comfortable enough to sit together, listen, exchange ideas, discover something new and perhaps leave having made a connection they never expected.

A place to question, to reflect and perhaps to leave seeing the world a little differently.

Because ultimately, I believe that the more we discover about one another, the more we understand that we are all part of the same human story.

And this, to me, is what culture and community are truly about.

A New Generation, A Continuing Story

Alongside Tareq's performance, we will present a jewellery installation by Lour Tams, a Palestinian designer whose work brings another creative perspective to the evening.

What interests me about bringing these two expressions together is the conversation between generations, disciplines and different ways of interpreting cultural identity.

Music is something we experience through time.

Jewellery is something we can hold, wear and carry with us.

For thousands of years, jewellery has been far more than decoration. It has communicated identity, belonging, status, beliefs and cultural heritage. Even today, a small object can carry extraordinary emotional meaning.

In that sense, both music and jewellery have the power to preserve memory.

I have always believed that craftsmanship is one of the most intimate forms of cultural expression. The knowledge of a technique, the understanding of materials, the gestures of the hands — these are things that cannot always be explained in a book.

They are learned through experience, observation and human exchange.

And when a new generation of designers reinterprets these traditions through its own experiences, it gives them another life.

This is something we actively encourage at MARK / GIUSTI.

Supporting independent designers, giving emerging creative voices visibility and creating opportunities for collaboration are not separate from what we do as a brand.

They are fundamental to what we believe a creative House should be.

A place where ideas can meet, where traditions are respected without limiting imagination, and where creativity becomes a bridge between people.

A House for Culture and Community

Over the years, my understanding of luxury has changed.

Or perhaps it has simply become clearer.

I believe that one of the greatest luxuries today is having the time and space to experience something meaningful.

To meet someone whose perspective is different from your own. To discover a craft you knew nothing about. To hear a piece of music that stays with you long after the evening has ended.

This is one of the reasons we created The House of MARK / GIUSTI in Milan.

Of course, it is our home for design, Italian craftsmanship and our collections. But I have always wanted it to be so much more than a boutique.

A place where people feel welcome, where conversations happen naturally, and where artists, designers, artisans, friends and people who have never met can find themselves sharing the same space.

Our Giovedì da Giusti evenings have gradually become an expression of this philosophy.

And MAQAM (X) feels like a particularly personal continuation of that journey.

By bringing the spirit of the majlis into our House, we are not simply recreating a tradition. We are giving it a new setting, one where contemporary design, music, craftsmanship and cultural heritage can exist together.

Not a conventional exhibition or performance, but an opportunity to experience culture together.

Because I believe culture is most powerful when it is shared.

What We Choose to Carry Forward

We live in a world where differences can sometimes feel greater than the things that unite us.

Different histories. Different languages. Different beliefs. Different experiences.

But I have always felt that art, design and music have a remarkable ability to move beyond these boundaries.

A melody doesn't ask where you come from before it moves you.
A beautiful object doesn't need to speak your language to make you curious.
A shared meal can introduce us to another culture long before we understand its language.
And perhaps that is something worth remembering, especially now.

Preserving culture is not only about protecting the past. It is about protecting our ability to connect with one another in the present. It is about making sure that the stories, skills, sounds and traditions that have shaped generations continue to have a place in the world we are creating.

As a designer, I feel a responsibility to contribute to that in whatever way I can.

Sometimes through an object. Sometimes through a collaboration. And sometimes simply by opening the doors of our House and bringing people together.

Times will change. They always have.

But the need to belong, to create, to share and to connect remains remarkably constant. And perhaps culture is one of the most beautiful ways we have of remembering that. I hope MAQAM (X) will be one of those evenings where we leave with something we didn't arrive with.

A new perspective. A new connection. A melody that stays in our minds. Or simply the feeling of having shared something meaningful with others.

I look forward to welcoming you.

With love, light, and kindness,

Mark Farhat Giusti

Founder & Creative Director, MARK / GIUSTI

 

MAQAM (X) — A Space for Memory to Unfold

A Special Edition of Giovedì da Giusti

Thursday, 19 November 2026 | 18:30–21:30

The House of MARK / GIUSTI
Via Marcello Malpighi 7
Porta Venezia Design District, Milan

An intimate evening of music, art and cultural exchange featuring a live solo oud performance by Palestinian composer and musician Tareq Abu Salameh, alongside a contemporary jewellery installation by Lour Tams, in a majlis-inspired setting.

Private Event | Limited Spaces

For attendance enquiries and RSVP: press@markgiusti.com

Coffee with Mark — A Special Edition

Before we gather at Casa Giusti, I would also love to invite you to join me this Saturday, 14 November, at 10:30 AM (Milan time) for a special edition of Coffee with Mark on Instagram Live.

I'll be joined by Tareq Abu Salameh and Lour Tams as we share the story behind MAQAM (X), explore the cultural inspirations behind their work and discuss why art, music, craftsmanship and community continue to play such an important role in bringing us together.

Bring your coffee, your curiosity and perhaps a question or two.

I look forward to sharing the conversation with you.

Join us live on MARK / GIUSTI's Instagram — Saturday, 14 November, 10:30 AM CET.

Discover more about our creative world at MARK / GIUSTI.