Salone del Mobile.Milano is once again embarking on a journey to engage with the key markets for Made in Italy. After focusing on the United States in September, November will see China hosting two significant international events.
The first destination is Shanghai, where, from 8th to 10th November, the Salone del Mobile will be a Partner of West Bund Art & Design, one of Asia’s most prestigious art fairs. Capturing the scene will be The Orbit’s Orbit, a performative installation dedicated to Italian design and created by the artist Matilde Cassani. The installation will be on exhibit at The Orbit space, an iconic West Bund Central building designed by the Heatherwick Studio, dialoguing with more than 50 Made in Italy icons.
In the words of Matilde Cassani: “The shape of The Orbit building underlies a ritual dimension that we wanted to bring out, using its spaces as the setting for an orbiting performance, where the interaction between visitors and the setting becomes an integral part of the experience itself.” She concludes: “I see an exhibition as an encounter with the public, so the project is fulfilled with the arrival of the visitors. In this exhibition, the public and objects share the role of protagonists of the performance, dialoguing in a perfect balance.”
The second stop will be Hong Kong, from 11th to 21st November, with the SaloneSatellite Permanent Collection 1998-2024 Exhibition. Promoted by the IDFFHK – International Design Furniture Fair Hong Kong and the Designworks Foundation at the Arts Pavilion, in the heart of the West Kowloon cultural district – the exhibition will showcase a selection of more than a hundred projects from the SaloneSatellite Permanent Collection founded and curated by Marva Griffin Wilshire.
“Bringing a part of the SaloneSatellite’s Permanent Collection to Hong Kong is not only an opportunity to raise awareness of the work of many talented young designers, but also a chance to celebrate global creativity and the importance of innovation in design. It is an occasions for cultural exchanges that brings out the fundamental role of the SaloneSatellite in enhancing and supporting the new leading figures in international design, and the finest way to end a year of celebrations for its 25th anniversary,”
said Marva Griffin Wilshire.
The choice of China is strategic: in 2023, Italy is confirmed as the main exporter of furnishings to China, for a value of 479.01 million euros. This interest was confirmed at the 2024 edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano saw China back in first place in terms of visitor numbers. For the Salone del Mobile, the special New York, Shanghai, and Hong Kong projects are the upshot of a new format conception process, both performative and exhibition, devised for foreign markets to strengthen internationalization processes, stimulating international dialogue on the issues around home living, and experimenting with multidisciplinary languages and practices in the field of design culture.
