Events in Shanghai and Hong Kong to celebrate Italian design.
Following a record 2024 edition, the Salone del Mobile is making its way around the world once more to stimulate dialogue with key Made in Italy markets. While September was United States month – with Ferruccio Laviani’s installation Italian Design: from Classic to Contemporary, showcased in partnership with Bloomingdale’s – from November it will be the Land of the Dragon’s turn to host two large new events of international appeal.
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 building designed by the Heatherwick Studio, dialoguing with more than 50 Made in Italy icons, protagonists of a radial city brought alive by the interactions of the visitors, original performances and a series of conversations around design.
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. A homage to emerging talents who have ventured into pastures new to become recognised at global level, thanks to the Salone del Mobile.Milano hub for under-35s, founded and curated by Marva Griffin Wilshire.
The choice of the Land of the Dragon is a strategic one: despite the troubled real estate market, 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, which – following the lengthy post-pandemic transition – 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, with the aim of strengthening internationalisation processes, stimulating international dialogue on the issues around home living, and experimenting with multidisciplinary languages and practices in the field of design culture.
After China, the Salone del Mobile.Milano will resume its travels around Europe and North America, sharing the first tasters of the upcoming edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano (8th-13th April 2025) with the community of professionals, architects, designers and journalists. The international tour reflects the Salone’s commitment to bolstering its role as a facilitator of relationships, a connector of strategic markets for the Italian wood-furnishing chain, and a promoter of business, networking and cultural exchange.
